Industry Analysis & Industry Trends
Specialist medicine is in demand due to an ageing population, an increase in lifestyle-related health conditions, growth in cosmetic procedures and the introduction of new services and procedures. In addition, service prices have increased and the mix of services provided has shifted towards more expensive services. As such, the Specialist Medical Practices industry's revenue is expected to grow by 1.4% per annum over the five years through 2012-13. The number of practitioners and the number of services provided will rise.
During the financial crisis, the number of people covered by private health insurance decreased, which reduced demand for expensive medical services. This is expected to continue to affect some industry practitioners through 2012-13... purchase to read more
Industry Report - Industry Locations Chapter
The regional distribution of specialist medical practices is affected by the level of demand for general medical services. This is affected by the distribution of the population, regions' age profiles and regions' health levels.
The distribution of specialists is also affected by the regional differences in wealth and income on a per capita basis, as typically private practice income is higher in relatively well-off areas, like in the south of England (and particularly London). Office for National Statistics data indicates that the three regions exceeding the UK average gross disposable household income of £15,333 per annum in 2009 were London (£19,658), the South East (£17.292) and the East of England (£15,939)... purchase to read more