British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak admitted he had used private healthcare in the past, breaking weeks of silence over whether he had any experience of Britain's state-run National Health Service which is in a state of crisis.
With thousands of nurses and ambulance workers on strike over pay, Mr Sunak has been repeatedly asked by journalists and opposition lawmakers over whether he uses the NHS or gets private treatment which offers a quicker service.
Some critics have argued that Mr Sunak, one of the wealthiest politicians in British history, is out of touch with those workers demanding higher wages to keep up with inflation and have doubted whether he could appreciate the strains the NHS is facing if he and his family did not use the service.
The British Prime Minister said he was registered with an NHS GP but told MPs he had used "independent" healthcare in the past.
He has previously refused to answer questions about whether he had private healthcare, insisting it was "not really relevant".
At Prime Minister's Questions Mr Sunak said: "I am registered with an NHS GP.
"I have used independent healthcare in the past and I'm also grateful to the Friarage Hospital for the fantastic care they have given my family over the years.
"The truth is I am proud to come from an NHS family and that's why I'm passionately committed to protecting it with more funding, more doctors and nurses, and a clear plan to cut the waiting lists."
