ABSTRACT
The total United Kingdom (UK) healthcare market in the public and private sectors in 2006/07 was estimated to be worth £121 billion, with expenditure rising by an estimated 7.2% between 2005/06 and 2006/07. Between 1999/2000 and 2006/07 total health care spending increased by 62% in real terms, continuing the marked increase that had begun in 1999. UK health care expenditure per capita is now around the EU15 level. Trends over time should be interpreted with caution as there are several breaks in series. Recent increases have resulted in a per capita spend of £1,830 in the UK in 2005. However, several countries still spend considerably more per capita, with the Switzerland and Luxembourg all having expenditures greater than £3,000 per person. The proportion of total health care financed publicly in the UK was approximately 86% in 2006/07, higher than in most other European Union (EU) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.
