As figures show that 76% are ‘dissatisfied’ with the NHS, a new study has revealed that the private health sector experienced the second-biggest growth of any UK industry last year. Â
The money.co.uk business bank accounts experts analysed government data to reveal which industries grew in 2023 despite an overall decline in the number of UK businesses.
The almost 3% growth of the private health sector correlates with research from The National Centre for Social Research which shows a drop of almost 30% in NHS satisfaction since 2020.
This sector’s growth reflects how vital healthcare is in any society. In particular, there has been an increasing demand for private healthcare due to the challenges such as staff shortages facing the NHS.
As people look to avoid lengthy waiting lists, private GPs and other healthcare providers have become more popular.
Top 5 UK industries that saw growth in 2023:Â
| Rank | Industries | 2022 | 2023 | Difference |
| 1 | Property | 110,710 | 113,785 | 2.78% |
| 2 | Health | 106,175 | 109,095 | 2.75% |
| 3 | Arts, entertainment, recreation and other services | 180,790 | 184,420 | 2.01% |
| 4 | Education | 46,755 | 47,340 | 1.25% |
| 5 | Construction | 374,980 | 377,585 | 0.69% |
Further study insights:Â
- The human health and social work activities sector also had one of the lowest rate of redundancies – at 2.7% (12,000).
- The critical nature of health and social services could be why redundancy rates for these jobs are so low. This is especially true in crises, such as the cost of living crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, when more people need support from this sector.
| Redundancies (Nov-Jan 2024) | |||
| Rank | Industry | Number of redundancies | Redundancy rate |
| 1 | Professional, scientific & technical activities | 6,000 | 2.7% |
| 1 | Human health & social work activities | 12,000 | 2.7% |
| 3 | Wholesale, retail & repair of motor vehicles | 13,000 | 4.2% |
| 4 | Accommodation & food services | 10,000 | 6.0% |
| 4 | Financial, insurance & real estate activities | 11,000 | 6.0% |
| 6 | Other services | 8,000 | 6.5% |
| 7 | Manufacturing | 17,000 | 6.9% |
| 8 | Construction | 10,000 | 7.3% |
| 8 | Transport & storage | 10,000 | 7.3% |
| 10 | Administrative & support services | 8,000 | 7.7% |
| 11 | Information & communication | 19,000 | 12.8% |
