Britons are increasingly feeling they have to set money aside to pay for private healthcare because the NHS will not be able to meet their health needs, research has suggested.
The study from Loughborough University’s Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) has argued that we are potentially seeing a critical shift in public expectations of our healthcare system.
An annual budget of £200 to pay for private health treatments such as counselling or physiotherapy has been included in the annual ‘minimum income standard’ (MIS) for working-age adults for the first time in the study’s 16-year history, it said.
MIS is calculated by adding up the cost of a basket of goods and services that the public agree are needed to meet material needs and to participate in society. These minimum baskets have been recalculated for all household types this year.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which funded the work, said the research showed that the public feel they can no longer count on the NHS. For millions with incomes that don’t reach this basic minimum there is no spare cash to pay for treatment and little prospect of accessing necessary treatment before their conditions deteriorate.
Private healthcare
More than half of UK employees want private healthcare benefit
Private health perks outstrip pay rises as HR tackles recruitment problems
Members of the focus groups involved in the study said accessing healthcare appointments was challenging and that languishing on NHS waiting lists too often prevented people from working as well as affecting their wellbeing and ability to socialise.
When comparing MIS to what households take home, the incomes of all households on out-of-work benefits and most on the National Living Wage (NLW) fail to reach MIS, said the CRSP.
Peter Matejic, chief analyst at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “In previous years it would have been unthinkable that cash to pay for health treatments would be necessary for a minimum standard of living.
“The reality is that many families don’t have enough to reach this minimum standard of living, including those on out-of-work benefits and many on the National Living Wage. They can’t set the money aside that the public think is necessary to avoid long waiting lists, and a health problem adds an extra financial insecurity to their lives.
“It’s not right that people are unable to take part in our society and are living in poor health for years because of their low income. The government must improve our public services, make work more secure and reform our social security system so that we all have an adequate safety net to rely on if more people are to have a decent standard of living,” Matejic added.
Separately, but also illustrative of the ongoing pressures on NHS care, an Ipsos poll has suggested many patients say they leave GP appointment frustrated because they have not had time to discuss all their worries.
Some 40% of Britons thought there was not enough time to raise all concerns in 10-minute GP appointment, The Guardian newspaper has reported.
Two-fifth left their GP appointment without discussing everything that was worrying them about their health.
Older people in particular complained of often feeling as if GPs “want them out the door as soon as possible” rather than listening to all their concerns.
Ipsos found that, while 51% of Britons were able to talk about “everything” or “most things” they wanted to raise the last time they saw a GP, 40% were only able to discuss “some things”, “hardly anything” or “nothing at all”.
The study found 72% of people wanted consultations to last at least 15 minutes, of which one in five preferred 20 minutes, rather than the current standard 10-minute slot.
The Ipsos findings appear to contradict those from the most recent annual GP patient survey, published in July, The Guardian also reported.
This found that 90% of patients felt their needs were met at their last GP appointment and 74% had a good experience overall, it said.
The poll also found that 43% of people have to tell the receptionist about their concerns before they get an appointment. A third, 31%, must first talk to a GP on the phone and 22% must fill out an online form.
More than half (56%) wanted GPs to make it easier to get an in-person consultation. A similar percentage, 53%, wanted shorter waiting times for appointments.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
