Despite the ongoing credit crunch, an increasing number of people are taking out private health insurance. According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), 6,004,000 people are now covered by either personal or corporate private medical insurance. A further 1,136,000 are covered through healthcare trust arrangements.

"It's good news that the popularity of Private Medical Insurance continues to grow,” comments Nick Starling, the ABI's Director of General Insurance and Health. “ Health insurance gives people access to the treatment they need, when they need it, offers greater privacy and better facilities, and reduces pressure on the NHS. And it enables employees to get back to work after illness or injury much more quickly than they otherwise would. This is good for companies and the economy, and is reflected in the rise in the number of people covered by corporate policies.”

Commenting on the figures, Fergus Kee, Managing Director of Bupa UK Health Insurance says: "The ABI figures reflect our own experience. The demand for private healthcare has continued into this year, despite the current economic downturn. In the first three months of the year, individual PMI sales were up by 20% on the same period last year.”

He add: "Our research shows that for 65% of Britons, access to clean hospitals is the most important reason for taking out PMI. MRSA and general hospital hygiene are clearly top concerns for people. The other top reasons people gave include no waiting, speed of access to specialists and the ability to see the same consultant throughout their treatment.”