After several years of strong growth in the self-pay market, paying for your own medical treatment appears to be losing some of its appeal. According to Laing & Buisson, after the £150m cosmetic surgery spend was deducted, £385m was spent on self-pay healthcare in last year.

It might sound amazing, but NHS improvements have a lot to do with the surprising statistics. Private health care was somewhat dependant on the abysmal long waiting lists that the NHS experienced, but now that the NHS has apparently reduced waiting times, less people are inclined to go private.

None the less, private insurance is still the way to go for ‘non emergency’ procedure with a sharp rise in the amount spent on cosmetic surgery. This has been rising constantly through the last few years. It is not only cosmetic surgery but also obesity-related surgery, which is not covered in the NHS.

But, while demand is slowing there are still valid reasons for seeking private treatment. Research by BUPA found that the number one reason for buying medical insurance was access to clean hospitals, with MRSA and general hospital hygiene top concerns. Clearly this is a factor that also holds true for people paying to go private.