The prime minister has told MPs he is registered with an NHS GP but has used “independent healthcare in the past”. Rishi Sunak had previously refused to say whether he uses private healthcare, insisting it was “not really relevant”.
It followed a press report that Mr Sunak is registered with a private GP practice which charges £250 per consultation. At PMQs, Mr Sunak praised his local hospital “for the fantastic care they have given my family”.
“That’s why I’m passionately committed to protecting it with more funding, more doctors and nurses, and a clear plan to cut the waiting lists,” he added. Mr Sunak had told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that his healthcare was “a personal choice”.
“As a general policy I wouldn’t ever talk about me or my family’s healthcare situation … it’s not really relevant,” he told the programme. Registering with an NHS GP does not exclude someone from using private healthcare.
The prime minister’s spokeswoman said Mr Sunak did not currently have private cover but declined to say when he registered with the NHS.
“In principle, he believes that the personal health details of individuals should remain private, but given the level of interest and in the interests of transparency he has set out that he is registered with a NHS GP,” she said.
A newspaper report in November suggested Mr Sunak was registered with a private GP practice that offers on-the-day appointments and home visits.
Latest NHS figures show that in November last year, 58% of NHS patients were not seen on the day they made an appointment. At the same time, a record high of more than seven million people is waiting for hospital treatment.
Source: BBC
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