ONE in three British adults have struggled to access NHS services since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, new research reveals.

Some 34 per cent have found it difficult to get the healthcare services they need since 2020, rising to 51 per cent of those with “life-limiting” health conditions, polling company YouGov warned.

The survey, commissioned by think tank Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), also shows that about a sixth of the more than 2,000 adults quizzed have paid for private healthcare during the crisis, with a majority doing so to avoid record-high NHS waiting lists, according to researchers. 

On the day the health service celebrates its 75^th birthday, the IPPR warned of a developing “two-tier” system which benefits those able to afford private costs. 

The organisation’s Chris Thomas said: “We should celebrate the NHS — it has treated millions and earned its position as the jewel of the crown in the British welfare state.

“But we must also acknowledge that it is rather worse for wear.

“After a decade of austerity, a global pandemic and historic winter crises, too many people are struggling to access the care they need.”