Paying For Private Care Is Turning Into A Habit, Not A Luxury

A 2023 survey from the Independent Healthcare Providers Network found most Britons would at least consider going private, and a fair few meant to pay for it within the year. This includes practices like yours.

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When paying for care stops being unusual, clinics and health-adjacent practices stop having to make the case for private treatment and just have to be the one people find.

Original ResearchA report claiming most UK adults are open to private healthcare, with a third planning to pay for treatment within a year.
Sourcehttps://www.ihpn.org.uk/news/new-research-shows-going-private-is-becoming-the-new-normal/
OverviewPublished by IHPN, the piece presents survey findings on how UK adults feel about paying for private healthcare.
Year2023
PublisherIndustry body, Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN)
Relevance to WellbeingDemand for paid care already appears broad-based, which matters most for clinics and healthcare-adjacent practices trying to reach people who haven't yet decided where to go.
Our VerdictToo early to tell The numbers point the right way for private-pay practices, though it's worth remembering the body that ran the survey represents the very providers it flatters.
Our Summary
  • Two thirds saying they'd consider private care is a decent headline for anyone selling it.
  • Younger adults came out as the most willing group, which rather dents the idea that private health is only for the comfortably retired.
  • It's IHPN's own survey, commissioned by the trade body for private providers, so a flattering result was rather the point.
  • No sample size or polling method is given in the release, so it's hard to say how much weight the numbers can bear.
Our Geo ViewApplies to the UK only. "Going private" only means something where there's a public alternative to opt out of, so the framing doesn't travel abroad.
Abstract of wellbeing niches and revenue flow
Recognise how this might impact your practice

Why this might matter to you

  • Coaching: this matters because if people are already warming to paying for their own care, they're more likely to pay for coaching too, once they know it exists.
  • Therapy: this matters because private mental health support rides the same shift, people expecting to pay rather than wait their turn.
  • Training: this matters because personal training sits comfortably alongside a public mood that's already decided paying for wellbeing is normal.
  • Alternative Healing: this matters because healers competing for attention need less convincing and more visibility, if the willingness to pay is already there.
  • Clinical: this matters because clinics are the most direct beneficiaries here, the survey is practically about them.
  • Retreat/Centre: this matters because centres selling a paid-for experience are pushing at a door that's already ajar.

Where this came from

IHPN says going private is turning into the default option, not the exception.

Independent Healthcare Providers Network, published 2023.

Credibility flags: survey-based, sample size not disclosed, published by the trade body for private healthcare providers.

How we scored this

A relevance score out of 100, built from three things: how well it fits the six practice types, how recent it is, and how solid the methodology behind it is.

47%
Practice fit, 50How new, 40How solid, 50

Marked down on how solid the method is, since neither the sample size nor the polling firm is named, marked down a little on recency too, but rated well on practice fit given how directly it speaks to paid healthcare.

Faces of satisfied clients
It's worth considering changes to your marketing practices

What this means for your marketing

  • Put a line on your site saying you welcome new private clients, don't make people hunt for it.
  • Brief your reception team that asking about payment is now a normal enquiry, not an awkward one.
  • Say the price before it comes up, on the page where people decide whether to enquire.
  • Aim some of your ads at the 25 to 34 age bracket, they're the most ready to pay according to this.
  • Stop apologising for charging. The data says people already expect to.

Who this is most useful for

Practice typeRelevanceRecommended action
CoachingMediumMention paid options plainly on your booking page.
TherapyHighMake private rates and availability easy to find.
TrainingMediumHighlight paid packages alongside any free content.
Alternative HealingMediumLead with credibility, not price justification.
ClinicalHighFeature your private pathway prominently, it's what people are already looking for.
Retreat/CentreMediumShow the cost upfront, hesitation isn't about price shock anymore.

Best before

Best before: worth revisiting once IHPN next repeats the survey, or checked against a fresh source before quoting it past 2025. Sunlight Creations can help you keep an eye on it.

What next?

Every practice owner who's quietly assumed people would rather wait for the NHS than pay for them, this is the survey that says most wouldn't.

Talk to us about Whole-practice Marketing

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