‘I paid £9,000 for private care to avoid two-year NHS wait’ | Personal Finance | Finance
A woman has shared how she had to turn to her parents to pay for a private operation to avoid a two-year wait for NHS treatment. Rachel, 44, from Bristol, needed a full ACL reconstruction and meniscus repair after getting a sports injury playing netball in 2022.
She decided to fork out £9,146 for her private care in 2023 after being told the wait time for NHS treatment would be between 18 months and two years. She said it was “devastating news” when she learnt about the long wait time. She said: “I was so upset – and angry – at the thought of waiting that long, all while being unable to walk properly or do everyday things.
“With two young kids to look after, being out of action wasn’t an option.” She looked into self-funding her care and found the operation would cost £9,146 which was too much for her to afford.
She said: “I spoke to my parents about it, and they could see how much it was affecting me. Netball has always been a real passion of mine, and I was feeling really low without it.
“They offered to lend me the money so I could have the surgery sooner. I was so grateful.
“I had the operation not long afterwards at the Spire – a private hospital in Bristol. It was major surgery and the recovery took weeks and weeks, but I’m pleased to say I’m now fully recovered and back to running and playing sport.”
Rachel has now taken out private medical insurance to avoid something like this happening again. Research from health insurance provider Howden found 27 percent of UK adults have paid for private medical treatment in the past five years, the equivalent of more than 14.6 million people.
One in seven people have had help from others to cover their medical costs. Ian Sawyer, commercial director at Howden Life and Health, said: “With NHS waiting lists at an all-time high, more and more families are stepping in to help their loved ones access treatment quickly.
“It’s striking to see that 5.2 million people have paid for private care for their children, and millions more have done the same for their partners or parents. This growing reliance on the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ – not just for deposits, but for doctors – shows just how deeply NHS delays are impacting families across the UK.”
Howden research also found that online searches for ‘cheap health insurance’ are up 46 percent year on year while searches for ‘health insurance quotes’ are up 53 percent. Mr Sawyer said: “Our data shows a clear demand for private healthcare – not only are people self-funding and funding loved ones, but when asked what benefit they would choose if their employer were to fully fund one benefit, the majority (60%) of respondents said PMI.
“And while private healthcare might feel out of reach for many, it’s worth exploring what’s available. Today’s private medical insurance options are far more flexible and affordable than many people realise.”
