Britons forced to go private for chemotherapy as NHS misses treatment targets
Private chemotherapy appointments rise as NHS misses cancer waiting-time targets, prompting patients to seek faster access through private care or private insurance.
Britons are increasingly turning to private providers for chemotherapy as the NHS misses key cancer waiting-time targets, new data show. Between April and June this year, there were more than 18,500 privately funded chemotherapy appointments, a 1.7% rise over the same period in 2024, according to the Private Healthcare Information Network. It was the only category of private healthcare to show growth amid long NHS waiting lists.
PHIN data show private chemotherapy was the only category of private healthcare to grow in the period, reflecting patients' desperation amid long waiting lists. The NHS has missed its two main cancer targets this year, with just about two-thirds of patients receiving a cancer diagnosis and first treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral. Tory MP Caroline Johnson, who is also an NHS consultant, said the rise in private chemotherapy admissions highlights ongoing pressures in the NHS and that missing cancer waiting-time targets makes private access more likely.
Macmillan Cancer Support said a separate survey earlier this year found that about half of those undergoing cancer treatment were worried that pressures on the NHS would affect their chances of survival. This year's rise follows an increase of nearly a fifth last year compared with 2023, reflecting a continuing shift toward private care. Nicky Luff, 60, booked two appointments — one with the NHS and one with private insurer Vitality — after finding a lump in her left breast in September 2023. Between April and June this year there were more than 18,500 privately funded chemo appointments, a 1.7% rise over the same period in 2024; however, her NHS appointment was cancelled due to junior doctors' strikes at the time. After a mammogram, CT scan and lumpectomy, she was told by her private consultant that it was highly likely she had cancer. Her surgery had been booked for October 15, and she is now undergoing private chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She noted that friends with cancer had faced cancellations and long waits for results, describing the experience as mentally exhausting.
Shimeon Lee, of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "We have one of the most expensive healthcare systems in the world, yet time and time again it demonstrates an inability to provide the care that Brits pay through the nose for." An NHS spokesman said: "We recognise that there is more to do to reduce waits and ensure everyone can get the very best care, free at the point of need."