NHS waiting lists drive more Britons to pay for medical treatment

Private hospital operators expect boom in self-pay to continue for at least next three to five years

Growing numbers of Britons are paying for private medical treatment because of the record delays people are facing trying to access NHS care, a report has revealed.

They are using their own savings to pay for procedures that involve some of the longest waiting times in NHS hospital, such as diagnostic tests, cataract removals and joint replacements.