Patterns of usage

Given how many people say NHS access problems are a major reason for choosing private healthcare, we asked people to tell us about whether they had tried to use the NHS before going private the last time they did so.

In total, 55% of people had tried to use the NHS before using private healthcare, while 42% had gone straight to the private system.

We also asked people to tell us about all the times they had used private healthcare – not just the most recent – and whether they had tried to use the NHS first.

Here the numbers are different – only around one in five (19%) people say they usually or always go straight to the private system while 78% say that they usually or always try to go to the NHS first.

This may indicate that the lengthy waiting lists across the NHS are changing patients’ behaviour – more people have gone straight to the private system for their most recent episode of care but these people may typically have tried to use the NHS first.