It must be around a decade ago that I said if I wanted to privatise the NHS, one of the earliest steps would be tax relief on private health insurance. Here is a clipping from Reform's "contract":


Tax Relief of 20% on all Private Healthcare
and Insurance
This will improve care for all by relieving pressure
on the NHS. Those who rely on the NHS will enjoy
faster, better care. Independent healthcare capacity
will grow rapidly, providing competition and
reducing costs.


Fortunately there is no way such a policy will come into play yet, but it is good example of how such an idea will be spun. Come the next election, I could see it appearing in the Conservative Manifesto.