The chancellor should have used his Spring Statement address to incentivise private medical insurance to tackle record NHS wait times, according to David Middleton, chairman of the Association of Medical Insurers and Intermediaries (AMII).
Responding to chancellor Rishi Sunak’s speech in Parliament this afternoon, Middleton (pictured) said the Spring Statement provided the “perfect opportunity” for the government to help alleviate the “huge” care and treatment backlogs in the NHS by introducing tax incentives for those who wish to, and already have, purchased PMI.
“The government’s delivery plan for tackling the Covid-19 backlog of elective care published last month made positive noises about how the private medical market can work with the NHS,” Middleton said.
“Calls for tax incentives have already been made from the Conservative backbenches in Parliament and this would have been the ideal time to announce this policy initiative. Regrettably the chancellor has chosen not to act, but if not now, when?”
Speaking at the Laing Buisson Private Healthcare Summit last week, IHPN chief executive David Hare warned that the chances were ‘slim’ of any tax break coming for PMI, despite the potential merits and government support.