The British public does not appreciate the true cost of having private medical treatment, according to research carried out by Norwich Union Healthcare.
Its findings revealed that the majority of those surveyed underestimated the cost of common operations.
l Two in three people believe a cataract operation would cost less than the real figure of £2,400.
l Sixty per cent think a hysterectomy costs less than £3,000, when its true price is £3,500.
l One third of respondents believe a hernia operation costs less than the price of £1,290.
Spokesperson for Norwich Union Healthcare, Nicole Hockley commented: “Recent events have shown how much pressure the NHS is under.”
She added: “The current beds crisis means that people could be forced to go private to have important operations carried out. And our research shows that people underestimate how much having operations done privately really costs.” Statistics from Laing and Buisson and the Office of National Statistics, show that only one adult in eight has taken out PMI to protect against the cost of having an operation.