Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will take steps to encourage the uptake of private health insurance to relieve pressures on the NHS.

In the UK, the NHS ensures that any individual or family has access to the high-quality health care they need irrespective of their ability to pay.

At Spending Review 2015 we funded the NHS’s ‘Five Year Forward View’ plan, with £10 billion a year of additional funding by 2020/21. However, we recognise that the NHS remains under pressure – with high demand on its services caused by the UK’s ageing population and rapidly advancing technology. The government acted in response to these challenges at Budget 2017 and provided £6.3 billion in new funding for the NHS.

The government is clear that it considers it important that everyone has access to suitable insurance at the right price. However, we do not intervene in non-compulsory insurance matters. It is up to individuals to decide whether to take out private health insurance.