New research from Howden Life and Health reveals 14.6 million Brits have self-funded medical treatment over the past five years. As part of its Health Gap research, Howden surveyed 2,000 UK adults, and 27% said that they had paid ‘out of pocket’ for medical treatment, spending nearly £6,000 on average with one in seven spending more than £15,000.
Of those, 59% paid for their own treatment, 36% funded treatment for their child and 35% for their partner. Almost a third paid for either their parents (24%) or another family member (9%). Some of the key reasons for self-funding include diagnostic tests and scans (22%), injuries (19%) and mental health services (15%).
The data follows brand new NHS league table data which exposed that four in five (80%) NHS Trusts are “off track” and performance varies dramatically by postcode. Meanwhile, the latest backlog analysis shows the NHS waiting list has now climbed to 7.3 million, up more than 10,000 in a single month.
This growing crisis of access to care is not only driving self-funders but also demand for private medical insurance. Intent-driven and price-led searches are up significantly; searches for “cheap health insurance” are up 46% year on year, and ‘health insurance quotes’ are up 53%. Meanwhile, Howden’s research shows that six in ten adults (60%) say that if their employer were to fully fund a benefit, they would now choose PMI—well ahead of extra holiday allowance (41%), paid time off (40%), or life insurance (37%).
Ian Sawyer, Commercial Director at Howden Life and Health, said: “With NHS waiting lists continuing to rise, a postcode lottery dictating the quality and speed of treatment, and one in five people losing sleep over fears of not being able to access the care they need, it’s clear that health anxiety is becoming a major concern for millions. That growing unease is reflected in the sharp increase in searches for PMI over the past year and the fact that more than a quarter of people have already self-funded treatment in the past five years. As pressure on public healthcare builds, demand for flexible, reliable access to private care is only rising. And while many still feel PMI is a luxury, it’s worth exploring the options available—there are more affordable and adaptable solutions than many people realise.
“In August 2025, the average monthly cost of a new medical insurance policy arranged through Howden Life and Health was £91.23. For those who already have health insurance, regularly reviewing your options is one of the smartest ways to avoid overpaying while still feeling confident in your cover. More than half of our clients saved over £500 a year by switching insurers at renewal through our market review - often keeping the same level of protection, or even improving it.”
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