Consumer superbrands have the power to attract consumers to the private medical insurance market, a research paper by PA Consulting has identified. Companies such as Boots and Virgin can attract clients to their stores and offer healthcare to NHS funded patients, private patients covered by health insurance and self-pay patients.

This trend, currently offered in the US has led to an influx of “retail health clinics” offering simple medical treatments for walk-in patients.

This has already started in the UK. Earlier in the year supermarket Sainsbury’s opened a GP practice in one of its stores near Manchester. Virgin also plans to open its first primary care centre this year with a further 5 over the course of next year. GP services will be the central to what it offers. Boots is also looking to expand its walk-in centre in Poole, Dorset, and could also expand its other 150 walk-in centres.

Virgin, a company successful in diversification has recruited Netcare’s former Chief Executive Officer Mark Adams to run its new venture in healthcare provision. Netcare is the parent company of BMI Healthcare – Britain’s largest private hospital chain.

Other retailers have also expanded their product range by offering financial products. Tesco together with insurer AXA PPP Healthcare and Sainsbury’s have offered private medical insurance policies, although the results have been mixed.