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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Health
Rebecca Thomas

How the private healthcare system is growing in the wake of NHS struggles

Spend on private healthcare providers reached £12.4bn in 2023, according to new analysis - (Supplied)

As the health service buckles under lengthy waiting lists exacerbated by the Covid pandemic, patients are increasingly turning to private providers for their healthcare.

The surge in demand has meant the value of the private healthcare market balloned to a record £12.4 billion in 2023, with the NHS splashing out more than £2bn over the year in a bid to ease the patient backlog, new research shows.

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