'Health tax' putting extra strain on NHS

Research from Bupa and economic experts Cebr has found that the thousands of private patients pushed back to the NHS due to Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) are putting added pressure on the service. The findings estimate the cost of the 200,000 patients put off private healthcare due to the IPT since 2015 is £126m a year. Bupa also warned that if this tax were to be set at the same level as VAT, a further 250,000 people could move from private health into public care, therefore doubling the cost of former private patients to the NHS - approximately nearly £300m a year. Putting this tax...