The latest consumer health and finance tracker from The Exeter shows that 43% of UK adults accessed at least one private healthcare service in the past six months. 

A third of UK adults are unsure if the NHS could fully meet their medical needs, with a growing number turning to debt to fund their care. 

The Exeter consumer health and finance tracker found that a third of UK adults are unsure if the NHS could fully meet their needs if they became ill. Adults aged 45 to 54 are the least confident, with 44% expressing uncertainty about whether they would be able to access sufficient care.

The insurer’s data also reveals that 43% of UK adults accessed at least one private healthcare service in the past six months, with nearly half (49%) expecting waiting times to increase over the next six months.

Dental services accounted for the largest share of private healthcare use at 20%, followed by mental health support (10%) and private GP consultations (10%).

While a quarter of private healthcare users (24%) were able to use an insurance product to fund their treatment, almost one in five (19%) turned to credit cards or personal loans – highlighting that many are relying on borrowing to access private healthcare. Men are also more likely than women to have used a credit card or personal loan to cover the cost of private healthcare (23% vs 15%).

“These findings highlight that many people are thinking carefully about how they would access care if needed, particularly within a system managing high levels of demand,” said Dawn Prescott, head of healthcare proposition at The Exeter. 

“With a third of UK adults uncertain about how quickly or easily they would be able to access care, this suggests that many people are considering their options,” she added. 

Private boom

The Tracker found that men have used private healthcare more in the past six months (46% of males vs 40% of females), despite feeling more assured than women that the NHS would meet their needs if they fell ill (72% vs 62%).

When it comes to age groups, younger adults are far more likely to have used private healthcare in the past six months, with 60% of 18 to 34-year-olds using private healthcare compared to just 25% of those aged 55 and over. Mental health services in particular show a clear generational divide, with 17% of 25 to 34-year-olds accessing support compared to just 3% of those aged 55 and over.

Exeter’s data is backed up by wider trends within the sector. 

As Healthcare Today reported at the beginning of June, for the fourth year in a row, reported admissions at the UK’s private hospitals have risen thanks to insurance-funded patients.

After an increase in the third quarter driven by patients in the 50-to-59 age group, the full-year figures from the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) for 2025 show an increase of 1%. “The continued growth in admissions for admitted care shows the importance of the private sector in maintaining and improving health in the UK,” said Richard Wells, PHIN’s director of technology and insights. 

“Both private medical insurance and self-pay admissions (where people use their savings or loans to pay for their procedure) were at very high levels. Our data shows, though, that there are distinct differences between the types of procedures people have, depending on how they are being funded.”