Private health insurance has suffered a record slump in demand, because the recession has forced employers and individuals to cut back on the costs of cover.
The number of people buying their own health policies has fallen to the lowest total since the 1970s, according to analysts Laing & Buisson.
With sluggish demand for both medical and dental insurance forecast to continue, more people will be turning to the NHS at a time when it is facing tough spending curbs.
The survey shows that the number of private medical policies fell 4.8% in 2009, after marginal growth of 0.6% in 2008, as the recession took hold. Employer-funded policies fell 4.7% and individual policies dropped 5.2%.
Read more at the Guardian.
Tags: PMI, Private practice
