“Also, health cash plans can be easily and affordably extended to partners and dependents, so, with tailored options to ensure no duplication of benefits, they might even work for someone that has PMI cover as well as for those that don’t.”

Does PMI help or hinder the NHS?

Again – and perhaps unsurprisingly – there are no dissenting voices on the answer to this question: the private sector is definitely helping the NHS. “Gone are the days when PMI was a ‘white-collar’ benefit, now being open to a wide cross-section of the UK working population,” says Irvine. 

Everyone also agrees that there could and should be more collaboration between public and private sectors. But, interestingly, most also seem wary of saying anything too negative about the NHS – a very common and traditional position for the private sector.

All, that is, except perhaps Walters. “The private sector is undoubtedly taking the strain off the NHS. If the circa 12 per cent of people that hold PMI were to be dumped on the NHS, it would precipitate its collapse,” he says.

He also reiterates the important role of PMI in supporting NHS primary (GP) care. “It’s well documented that primary care services are in a particularly poor state and the virtual GP services now offered by all medical insurers will be alleviating a burden on GP surgeries, freeing up capacity,” adds Wright.

Meanwhile, National Friendly chief executive Graham Singleton suggests there is an ever-growing opportunity for both the private and NHS sectors to co-exist in a “symbiotic relationship where both parties benefit”. 

“The private sector excels at fast diagnostics and treatments for non-life-threatening ailments, but the NHS is unrivalled in terms of the resources and expertise available to treat truly life-threatening and very serious ailments,” he adds.

That said, the consensus is that the private sector could help a lot more if the government removed insurance premium tax on premiums. And in the corporate sector, removed the P11D (benefits in kind) tax to help increase the percentage membership of corporate schemes.

Kevin Carr is managing director and Suzanne Clarkson is associate consultant at Carr Consulting & Communications