Buy now, pay later medical loans on rise as desperate patients go private amid NHS backlogs

Finance firms defend credit deals as ethical but health experts warn of spiralling public indebtedness

Patients who face long NHS waiting lists and cannot afford to go private are being encouraged to sign up for buy now, pay later" (BNPL) deals and other personal loans to cover the costs of basic healthcare.

The deals allow people to spread payments over months or years in exchange for rapid access to treatments and tests, including MRI scans, X-rays and routine surgery.