The polling is clear: UK public is finally ready for serious NHS reform Opinion New polling shows the public mood has shifted on the NHS. The government must respond, writes Dr Emmanuel Igwe.
Private medical insurance claims rise as City workers seek quicker care insurance Diagnostic tests top private medical insurance claims as City workers increasingly seek coverage for everyday health needs. According to data from Howden, diagnostic tests and scans are number one across all categories, except for those over 65. This comes as the NHS waiting list has started to fall in recent months, yet 7.31m people across [...]
Private healthcare admissions surge as calls for VAT raid grow healthcare The number of hospital admissions using private healthcare in the first quarter of the year has bounced back to its pre-pandemic peak. The latest Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) data on private healthcare admissions published today revealed that the total number of admissions in the first quarter of 2025 was 241,000. Despite the figure being [...]
Bupa boss: ‘The NHS needs fine-tuning but its soul will remain’ August 6, 2025 The UK boss of Bupa has rejected calls for the NHS to move to an insurance model, and while it needs "fine-tuning," its "soul will remain".
Labour’s Lord Kinnock: Slap VAT on private healthcare August 4, 2025 Labour's Lord Kinnock has called on the government to start charging VAT on private medical insurance in order to raise funds for the NHS
Should the wealthy always go private to save the NHS? July 28, 2025 It’s no secret that the NHS has been under pressure for years and the strain on its resources looks like not letting up any time soon. With staffing shortages, long waiting times, funding issues, an aging population and a rise in demand, the NHS has its back up against the wall. But should those who [...]
Bupa acquires first UK hospital since 2008 June 19, 2025 Private healthcare giant Bupa has agreed to acquire its first UK hospital since 2008 as it looks to expand its access to the London market. The independent private hospital is called New Victoria and located in Kingston-upon-Thames. General manager for Bupa Health Services, Sarah Melia, said: “[It] enables us to provide more Bupa services directly [...]
Spire Healthcare shares plunge as group warns of cost hit despite NHS demand March 6, 2025 Shares in NHS private healthcare provider Spire Healthcare plunged by nearly a quarter in early deals this morning after the company warned that higher costs could cut earnings by as much as 10 per cent. The company said it faced a £30m hit to earnings before interest, tax, deprecation and amortisation (EBITDA) in the year [...]
Vitality: ‘Why your health and life insurance premium won’t go down’ February 18, 2025 In this episode of Boardroom Uncovered, Neville Koopowitz, the chief executive of health and life insurance giant Vitality.
Vitality to offer discounted weight loss drugs in UK first February 12, 2025 Customers are to be offered discounted weight loss treatments through insurance giant Vitality in a UK first. The group, which is UK’s third-largest health insurer behind Bupa and Axa, is to offer discounts of up to 20 per cent for medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro to its 1.9 million members. The offer is to [...]