When Belinda Andrews-Jones developed back pain so severe it triggered memories of childbirth, she counted on help from Britain’s taxpayer-funded NHS.
But the 47-year-old was told that it would take months to see a specialist and even then she might not qualify for surgery since her bladder was unaffected. She turned to the private sector, paying about £12,000 to have an operation at the Spire Southampton hospital to correct a severely protruding spinal disc.
She is not alone. The NHS, which marks its 75th anniversary in July, has long been seen by Britons as a repository of cherished national values. But with the queue for planned surgery at record levels and long waits for a GP appointment, millions are setting that fealty aside to buy care in the private sector.