Out of 100
Latest calculated month
vs previous scored month
Smoothed trend
Treatment pressure score over time
The headline index shows whether timely NHS access is becoming easier or harder month by month. Higher means more pressure.
Tip: click any chart point to open that month’s detailed Treatment Access Index breakdown.
View chart data table
| Month | Score | 3-month average | Status | Change |
|---|
Five-pillar breakdown
Each pillar is scored separately. The weighted contribution is then combined into the headline Treatment Access Index.
Cancer pathway timing, including faster diagnosis and 62-day treatment standards.
How difficult access feels to patients, including GP access and NHS waiting experience.
Category pressure over time
This compares the raw pressure score for each category on the same 0–100 scale. Higher means more pressure.
Click a point to view that month’s full breakdown. Use the pillar cards above to open a specific category page.
View category chart data table
| Month | Elective | Diagnostics | Time-critical | System | Sentiment |
|---|
How the index works
The Treatment Access Index is a composite pressure score out of 100. A higher score means treatment access is under more pressure.
Five pillars
- Elective: 30%
- Diagnostics: 20%
- Time-critical pathways: 20%
- System pressure: 20%
- Sentiment: 10%
Backcast months
Before July 2024, ONS patient sentiment data was not available. Those months use the operational pillars available at the time and reweight the available signals so the score remains comparable.
The index is designed as a consistent monthly benchmark. It is not a prediction of individual treatment time, but it helps show whether the wider access environment is becoming more or less pressured.
How this can help when comparing PMI
The Treatment Access Index does not tell you whether you personally need private medical insurance. It gives context for the access pressures people may be thinking about when they compare NHS waiting times, private diagnosis and private treatment options.
PMI is not a replacement for the NHS. Emergency care, long-term chronic care and many routine services remain NHS-led. Where PMI can help is with eligible private diagnosis and planned treatment for new medical conditions, depending on the policy.
Start with cover
Understand what private medical insurance can and cannot cover before comparing prices or choosing optional extras.
Then compare options
Once you know what cover means, compare quotes based on outpatient cover, excess, hospital list and exclusions rather than price alone.
For more background, browse the PMI Explained guides. They cover excess, outpatient care, pre-existing conditions, cancer cover, mental health and other key policy choices.
What is driving the latest score?
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