The number of people using private healthcare for non‑urgent treatment and diagnostics has almost doubled in the past two years, according to Healthwatch England.
One in seven people in the UK, or 16%, used private services in the year to November 2025, up from 9% the last time the survey was conducted in 2023.
Long NHS waiting times was given as the main reason for people deciding to pay for their treatment with 39% citing this as their main motivation.
This has replaced the perception of better-quality treatment and care as the leading factor that drove 37% of people to go private in 2023.
The latest poll of more than 2,500 adults found that better quality of care has fallen as a reason to 31% with convenience close behind on 30%.
Notably a fifth of respondents said they were ineligible for a procedure on the NHS.
Confidence in the NHS rise slightly but only 32% of respondents were confident of getting timely hospital outpatient treatment, up from 28% in 2023.
Belief in receiving timely access to non‑urgent operations stood at 22%, while this rose to 28% for scans and diagnostics.
The survey noted that more than six million people were waiting for treatment and tests on the NHS in January, and that 2.7 million had been on the list for more than 18 weeks.
Chris McCann, acting chief executive at Healthwatch England, said: “The NHS 10-Year Plan aims to tackle long waits for elective care.
“However, this work needs to move faster if we want to boost patient confidence, stop the move towards two-tier healthcare, and restore the NHS as a truly universal service for all.
“As part of this, the government must keep its pledge to make sure most people are seen and treated within 18 weeks of referral, including meeting the interim target of 65% of people by the end of this month.”
He added that to build confidence, the government should introduce the promised minimum patient experience standards for elective care.
“Everyone waiting for hospital care, no matter where they live or which hospital they were referred to, should get the same level of service and communication.”
