The number of workplace and individual private medical insurance (PMI) claims jumped 13% in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to latest figures released by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Health insurers processed a record £4 billion in claims in 2024.
The number of people covered by work health insurance also increased by 4% to 6.5m in the same year, compared to the previous 12 months, the ABI said.
These rises contributed to an overall 10% jump in the number of people who claimed on private health insurance policies (individually or via work schemes) to a total of 1.8m in 2024, with payouts supporting a wide range of treatments, diagnostics and rehabilitation services.
How is this rapid rise impacting how providers in the District are planning and organising their operations? Where are they seeing demand increase in particular and what does this mean for service design?
“The rise in patients accessing private healthcare via their insurance providers reflects what many of us working on the frontline of healthcare are seeing every day: patients are more informed and want faster access to specialist advice, diagnostics and treatment when they feel they cannot wait,” says Hope Alicia, deputy head of international and private care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Specialist Care, who has just overseen the launch of a dedicated women’s health clinic in the District in response to rising demand.
“While the NHS remains the foundation of healthcare in the UK, the growth in private care provision is helping to create much needed additional capacity within the system” she says, adding the provider is “seeing particularly strong interest in areas such as women’s health, diagnostics and minimally invasive outpatient procedures, where quick and convenient access can significantly improve both patient experience and outcomes”.
She says that this means the trust as a healthcare provider must “think more broadly about how services are delivered, investing in one-stop rapid access clinics, outpatient diagnostics and integrated pathways that allow patients to progress through the system safely but quickly”.
“As demand continues to grow, we as organisations need to build services that are scalable but deliver and maintain the high standards of care and governance patients expect,” she says.
Paul Bakker, Head of Healthcare Asset Management at The Howard de Walden Estate, adds that
“As the demand for private healthcare and insurance-backed services continues to accelerate, our role at The Howard de Walden Estate is to ensure the District provides the high-quality physical infrastructure necessary to meet this need. We have recently seen the successful delivery of 8 self-contained facilities including providers Cedars-Sinai, The Allergy Centre of Excellence (ACE), Khiron Clinics and London Psychiatry Clinic.
Looking ahead, we are committed to further increasing capacity and supporting innovation within the District. Our upcoming projects, currently in planning and development, extend to over 100,000 sqft of new infrastructure ensuring that we continue to provide the space and environment required for world-class healthcare delivery, meeting the expectations of patients for rapid and integrated care pathways.”
Read the ABI article here.
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