Saga health insurance offers hope for over 50s disenchanted with NHS

Saga health insurance has found that while Britons are proud of the NHS, many are becoming increasingly disenchanted with the service it provides, which is where private medical insurance can step in, the insurer says.

According to Saga's research, 4.5 million UK adults aged 50 or older believe the NHS has got worse in the last two years, and a third believe it will continue to get worse in the course of the next five years.

Almost half of those over 50s who have used the NHS in the past two years – accounting for 87 per cent – rated their NHS experience as 'very good', but for the other half looking for an alternative, Saga health insurance believes private cover provides the solution.

Private medical insurance is a popular choice, with the over 50s citing their reasons for choosing it as avoiding long NHS waiting lists, a choice of when and where to be treated, and cleaner hospitals.

These are among the reasons why more than 500,000 people in the UK aged 50 or older have chosen to take out health insurance, and Saga has experienced a marked increase in sales from people who are concerned about their future health care.

Andrew Goodsell, executive chairman of Saga Group, commented: "Older people are very reliant on the NHS. The worry for many people is that pressures to cut public spending could adversely affect the quality of health care.

"Health is a key concern of today's over 50s who are more active than any previous generation. If they suffer a medical problem, they want to get treated and recuperate as quickly as possible to get on with their busy lives," he added.

© Fair Investment Company Ltd

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