NHS cuts could benefit private providers

The UK’s best known private healthcare providers are expecting a rise in business and an increased use of the private health sector as a result of Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s NHS efficiency savings.

A survey of 500 GPs carried out by Spire Healthcare, the second largest private hospital group in the country, showed that one in ten GPs had seen waiting times increase for oncology with 6% saying they were experiencing restrictions on other types of cancer care meaning that 22% of GPs are likely to refer patients to the private sector for this type of treatment.

Dr Jean-Jacques de Gorter, clinical director of Spire Healthcare, said: "I think it is an inevitable consequence. We are already seeing waiting lists for elective admissions and diagnostics going up.”

Although fewer people have private medical insurance due to increases in redundancy levels and loss of healthcare benefits de Gorter said he expects more people to use private medical care as the NHS is forced to delay less critical operations.

"The NHS has to find £20bn of savings between now and 2015 and it is almost certain they will use forms of rationing and delay to achieve those savings," he said.

However the British Medical Association argued that rather than referring patients to the private sector NHS staff should discuss how best to organise services in such testing times.