Stephen Walker, chairman of The Association of Medical Insurance Intermediaries (AMII) said he believes politicians fail to acknowledge that the private health sector supports and enables the NHS to treat more people and that the UK should not rely on one or the other.
Walker said: “For every person treated in the private sector, pressure is eased on the NHS, freeing up beds and reducing waiting lists to see a consultant.
"The private sector also provides beds for NHS patients when the public sector back-log is acute, not the other way around. These are both arguments often not deemed politically correct to discuss.
“No one disputes the NHS is excellent for emergency and life threatening situations – but the private sector provides real choice for elective surgery, reducing queues for treatment, not jumping them and allowing patients in both sectors to get on with their lives and back to work much faster.”
