Longer NHS Waits? Your Adviser Might Have the Answer

As NHS waiting lists continue to grow, many people are facing longer delays for essential treatments and procedures. This increasing strain on public healthcare highlights the importance of having robust financial protection in place. It is therefore a good idea to speak to your financial adviser if you have any concerns, and explore how options such as income protection, critical illness cover, and private medical insurance may be beneficial to you. These solutions can offer peace of mind and practical support when access to timely care becomes uncertain.

Using data from NHS England and Gov.uk, we can look at some examples of current wait times by condition:

• Hip replacements
  Average wait time is over 40 weeks in many trusts.

• Gynaecology referrals:
  Among working-age patients, this is the most common specialty, with many waiting over 18 weeks.

• Suspected cancer referrals:
  While the target is 2 weeks, many patients wait over 28 days for diagnosis confirmation.

• Mental health services:
  Often excluded from standard waiting time guarantees, with delays stretching into months for non-urgent cases.

These delays can have serious implications, especially those who are self-employed, have limited sick pay, or those who have difficulty obtaining Life Cover due to challenging conditions.

In this climate, where NHS wait times now exceed 7.6 million pending treatments, protection options like Private Medical Insurance (PMI) and Income Protection are more relevant than ever. PMI offers faster access to diagnosis and treatment, helping you avoid long NHS queues and get back to health sooner. Meanwhile, Income Protection provides a financial safety net if illness or injury prevents you from working, ensuring your bills are covered while you recover. With healthcare delays becoming a growing concern, now is a smart time to explore how these solutions can offer peace of mind and practical support when you need it most.

Now might be a good time to have a conversation with your adviser if this is something that you are concerned about. Your adviser will be able to review any existing cover you have and provide options for consideration, ensuring that you always have the information you need to make informed choices.

This article is for general information and does not constitute personal financial advice. If you’re unsure what’s best for you, seek independent financial advice.