A growing number of people are turning to private healthcare amid concerns over the NHS waiting list, a patient watchdog has warned.
Healthwatch England said that the proportion of people paying for healthcare privately had ‘increased significantly’ over the last two years.
It warned of a ‘two–tier’ health system, where those who can afford to do not have to wait for care.
And there has been an increase in the proportion saying they had paid for private healthcare because the NHS waiting time was ‘too long’, according to new figures.
The organisation compared responses from 1,758 people in England in September 2023 to a new poll of 2,593 adults in England at the end of last year.
It found in 2023, nine per cent of people surveyed said they had accessed private healthcare in the last year. But by 2025, this figure rose to 16 per cent.
It said that people earning more than £80,000 were more likely to have said they had paid for private healthcare in the last year.
When asked why they had used private healthcare, some 39 per cent said it was because the ‘NHS waiting time was too long’, while three in 10 said private healthcare was more convenient.
The total number of patients waiting for NHS diagnostic tests, January 2020 to January 2026. The list has risen sharply over the past year, reaching nearly 1.8 million patients
Healthwatch said that the shift towards private healthcare comes as ‘confidence in NHS hospital services remains low’.
However, recent NHS figures show that the waiting list for treatment continues to fall.
The list in England has decreased for the third month in a row, with an estimated 7.25 million treatments waiting to be carried out at the end of January compared to 7.29 million treatments at the end of December.
This is the lowest level since February 2023.
Chris McCann, acting chief executive at Healthwatch England, said: ‘The NHS 10–Year Plan aims to tackle long waits for elective care, however, this work needs to move faster if we want to boost patient confidence, stop the move towards two–tier healthcare, and restore the NHS as a truly universal service for all.’
He added: ‘Everyone waiting for hospital care, no matter where they live or which hospital they were referred to, should get the same level of service and communication.
‘This includes timely confirmation that their referral has been received and accepted – not lost in an administrative black hole – and information on managing their symptoms while they wait.
‘Hospitals should also provide patients with regular updates to confirm they are still on the waiting list and give enough notice of any planned cancellations.’
A growing number of people are turning to private healthcare amid concerns over the NHS waiting list, a patient watchdog has warned
David Hare, chief executive of Independent Healthcare Providers Network, said it is ‘not surprising’ people are willing to fund their own treatment.
‘This latest research reflects the growing numbers of people from all across the country who are now accessing private healthcare services, either alongside or instead of NHS care, in what is becoming a ‘new normal’,’ he said.
‘This includes a wide range of treatments including general practice, scans and tests, consultations and surgery.
‘People’s health and the health of their family is their number one priority and so it is not surprising that more people are willing to fund their own treatment – or use private medical insurance provided by their employer – to ensure that they receive the swift, high–quality care they need at their convenience.’
An NHS England spokeswoman said: ‘The NHS delivered record numbers of appointments, tests and scans in 2025, reducing the waiting list to its lowest level in three years and cutting 18–week waits to levels last seen in 2022.
‘GP teams provide over a million appointments every working day, while expanded services like Pharmacy First are helping patients access care faster and more easily.’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman added: ‘We will end the unacceptable, two–tier, healthcare system we inherited that leaves patients feeling they have no choice but to go private.’
