Fears over 'two-tier' healthcare system as long NHS waiting lists see private care surge
A growing number of people are turning to private healthcare 🏥
- People are turning to private healthcare due to lengthy NHS waiting lists, new research has shown.
- The Healthwatch England report found that those accessing private care have risen from 9 per cent in 2023 to 16 per cent in 2025.
- Long NHS waiting lists are now the leading cause for people to choose private care, leading to fears of a ‘two-tier’ system.
There has been a “sharp rise” in people turning to private healthcare, new research from Healthwatch England has shown.
The watchdog has issued a warning about a “two-tier” healthcare system, after it found that nearly one in seven (16%) people were seeking private care, with the number of those accessing it rising from 9 per cent in 2023 to 16 per cent in 2025.
Long NHS waiting lists were the leading cause, with four out of 10 (39%) citing this as their main reason, whilst 31% sought private healthcare for convenience, and 30% for being ineligible for the procedure on the NHS.
The survey, which was commissioned by Savanta, polled 2,593 adults to understand their use of the NHS and private healthcare, and their confidence in NHS services.
It found that confidence in accessing NHS services remained low, with only 32% saying they were confident in timely hospital outpatient treatment. This dropped to 22% for timely access to non‑urgent operations, and 28% for scans and diagnostics.
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.
“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. Importantly, these standards should be tracked and progress shared publicly to increase public confidence in the NHS approach to reducing backlogs.”
The impact of these delays means patients feel they have “no option” but to go private. Chloe Leckie, 51, from Buckinghamshire, felt she was pushed into seeking private healthcare through her husband’s employer after being unable to access the treatment she needed on the NHS.
Chloe, who described being “left disabled by lack of treatment”, had first been referred for an emergency hysterectomy following a severe episode of sepsis in 2023. However, as her case was too complex, she was referred to the Oxford endometriosis clinic, where she was told she would need physiotherapy before she could have surgery. Nearly two years later, she is still waiting for physiotherapy.
Chloe said: “I went private as I had no other option. We pay a monthly amount for our insurance, but the surgery and all the pre- and post-op procedures would have cost close to £20,000. The insurance doesn’t cover any ongoing investigations or further monitoring.”
The NHS has faced its busiest winter on record, with over nine million patients attending A&E between November 2025 and February 2026. Despite the pressure, waiting lists have fallen slightly, decreasing by more than 370,000 since June 2024, they are now at their lowest level for almost three years.
Waiting for an appointment or treatment can be frustrating. You can find out more about the NHS waiting list times in England and how to check the waiting times near you at NHS.UK.