A rising number of people in the UK have found themselves turning to private healthcare due to record waiting times for NHS services, a new report has claimed.
The report's author, Liz Heath, said: "There does appear to be a direct correlation between the well-publicised and lengthening NHS waiting lists and waiting times for elective procedures and diagnostics and enquiries around self-pay. Since those waiting lists are not falling, we would expect demand to be sustained as people seek to access treatment."
As it stands, the NHS is currently trialling new ways to cut waiting times, including with a monitoring device to hasten diagnosis of irregular heart rhythms, which reduced the wait at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital from as high as eight weeks to a matter of days, according to Liverpool Echo. Meanwhile, a "life-saving" phone app has also been launched for detecting cancer, cutting unnecessary dermatology referrals. But one scheme could let you skip NHS waiting lists entirely.
