Two-tiered medicine: the increasing disparity in medical care in the UK

Independent healthcare providers have long been a core part of the UK health system and both patients and GPs should be reassured by the safety and quality of the services delivered in the independent sector to NHS and privately funded patients.

Currently over 84% of independent acute hospitals are rated good or outstanding by the Care Quality Commission, which compares favourably with the NHS average, with independent providers scoring highly in …