New Lateral Health Plan Launched, Aimed at Over 60s Age Group

As the NHS continues to decline in terms of service waiting times, care quality, staff expertise etc more over 60s are looking at private schemes. Here’s the word from Lateral; 

Lateral, a company building financial products specifically for people over 60, has launched its first product, the Lateral Health Plan – developed in response to a growing number of Baby Boomers who are finding themselves in a state of healthcare limbo, self-funding care on an ad-hoc basis without protection.

With the UK’s self-pay healthcare market now standing at 1.6bn – quietly being driven by over 60s who are increasingly choosing to supplement NHS care by self-funding private consultations, diagnostics and elective procedures – Lateral has launched the Lateral Health Plan to meet the rising demand for faster access and greater choice.

The Lateral Health Plan offers a more affordable alternative to fully comprehensive private medical insurance, providing cover for the areas where the over-60s are most commonly using private care, while continuing to recognise the strengths of the NHS where relevant.

However, as NHS waiting times for consultant referrals, diagnostic tests and elective procedures such as hip and knee replacements continue to rise, the over-60s who are more likely to require these interventions are reassessing how they plan for healthcare in later life. Indeed, there are currently over 860,000 people on the Trauma & Orthopedic waiting list – the largest single queue in the NHS (Kings Fund, Dec 2025), with the average patient waiting 15.2 weeks for a procedure (NHS England).

And while private medical insurance can offer reassurance, many over-60s find traditional policies prohibitively expensive or poorly suited to their needs at this stage of life. Indeed, a 2025 YouGov survey found that 15% of Brits over the age of 65 had used private healthcare in the past year, with 71% using either disposable income or money from a savings account to pay for it.

The Lateral Health Plan seeks to solve these issues by bringing together financial cover and stay-healthy benefits in one policy specifically designed for fit and active over 60s, recognising a generation that is living longer, healthier lives.

At the heart of the Lateral Health Plan is a nurse-led navigation service, delivered by qualified case-management nurses, designed to support members in understanding diagnoses, exploring treatment pathways and navigating both NHS and private options, to provide over-60s with the guidance that they need to make informed choices.

What’s more, by complementing rather than replacing NHS care, and by focusing on preventative engagement such as including an annual health check, the Lateral Health Plan is able to offer more sustainable pricing over time. For example, the plan would cost only ?150 per month for an eligible 67-year-old.

Laura Ashforth, Co-founder and CEO of Lateral, said: “We founded Lateral to empower over-60s to navigate their health and wealth with greater confidence and ease. The Lateral Health Plan is designed for people who have no intention of stopping and are looking for clarity, support and choice when it comes to their healthcare – alongside the NHS, not instead of it.”

Dr Samantha Field, Chief Medical Officer at Lateral, added: “Prevention plays an important role as people age. The Lateral Health Plan is designed to help people take a more proactive approach to their health, with access to services such as an annual health check and support from nutrition and physiotherapy services, to help members better understand their options over time.”