IM TREATED BY PRIVATE CARE ON NHS

206,000 fall in waiting lists

- BY ALEXANDER BROWN

MORE than 1.1 million people have had private health care paid for by the NHS this year, in a move to slash waiting times.

Independent healthcare providers have taken care of more than six million tests and operations - a massive increase of almost 500,000 compared to last year.

Official figures show an average of 19,000 surgical procedures and 100,000 outpatient appointments were dealt with every week this financial year by private providers.