Young working professionals are turning away from the NHS in favour of private healthcare for cancer screenings and diagnostic scans, new data shows.
A report by the Independent Healthcare Provider Network (IHPN) found that demand for private tests had soared among young professionals between the ages of 20 to 40.
Private healthcare bosses say the trend reflects a growing desire for “peace of mind”, as young professionals seek prompt, on-demand assessments for worrying symptoms.
Many adults put a high value on being able to book appointments at a convenient time and location, often being able to pop out to private clinics near their workplace or during their lunch hour.
Some of the most popular private tests are for cancer symptoms, such as mammograms for breast cancer or colonoscopies for bowel cancer. Most private clinics offer scans within on or two days, whereas patients usually have to wait at least a fortnight on the NHS.
Booking an NHS appointment can also be frustrating, with many patients forced to call their GP practice at 8am—often during the morning rush hour—only to wait in long queues for a chance at an available slot.
David Hare, the chief executive of IHPN said the latest data shows going private for vital scans and tests is becoming “increasingly normalised”.
He told The Times: “This is particularly the case for younger people, who are accustomed to high quality, convenient and personalised services in many other aspects of their lives, and hugely benefit from the increasing number of private diagnostics services available near their homes and workplaces.”
Last year, a record one million people underwent private health tests and diagnostic scans, with some providers reporting a 20 per cent surge in demand over the same period.
In a recent survey by the IHPN, 76.3 per cent of young people aged 25 to 34 and 71.7 per cent of young people aged 35 to 44, revealed they would consider using private healthcare.
It comes as public satisfaction with the NHS has reached an all-time low, primarily due to long waits for GP appointments, staff shortages and concerns about the quality of care.
Just one in five people in 2024 said they were satisfied with the way the NHS runs in the 2024 survey— the lowest level of satisfaction recorded since the survey began in 1983.
A record 1.1million private tests were delivered by the private sector in the UK last year. According to new analysis, more than half of procedures were covered by medical insurance but there has also been a rise in people paying out of pocket, particularly young adults.
Sally Furniss, a hairdresser from Buckinghamshire, was referred for an MRI scan last year after she fell unconscious. She was told she would have to wait about four months for a scan on the NHS and could not deal with the worry, according to The Times.
Instead, she decided to go private and enquired about an MRI scan with Wellsoon from Practice Plus Group which she paid £330 for. She was booked in for the following evening and on the Monday received the results from her GP, who gave her the all clear.
