A dispute among members of one of the UK’s fastest-growing private healthcare providers is growing amid concerns they are being frozen out of key decisions.
Campaigners in the county, from the 870,000-strong membership of Benenden Health, say the organisation is turning its back on scrutiny from the very people who own it.
Benenden – which grew up around its ‘outstanding’ CQC-rated private hospital in the county – makes much of the fact that it is a mutual – in effect owned by its paying members and not beholden to shareholders.
It does not provide traditional private health insurance, but access to a layer of care – such as to GPs, consultants and diagnostic facilities – through its Benenden Healthcare package. It does not, however, treat long-term conditions such as cancer or heart conditions.
Costing just £15.85 a month, the ability to leap waiting lists has proved popular both with individuals and businesses providing it as a perk to staff.
For those in Kent requiring its services, members are directed to Benenden Hospital, near Cranbrook. Elsewhere in the country, members can use Bupa sites.
But concerns have been voiced by its gradual reduction in member representation in the oversight of its governance.
Maidstone’s David Hatcher, a former Kent Police chief best known for his time working on BBC show Crimewatch, is one those becoming anxious.
A member of Benenden Health for around 20 years, he has represented the voice of members across north and east Kent. Now he’s calling for changes to the direction it’s heading ahead of its AGM in York, later this month.
Speaking to KentOnline, he explained: “Since 1905, volunteer members have helped represent fellow members and scrutinise decisions made by the board on the society’s behalf.
“In 2022, Benenden had more than 600 volunteer representatives across the UK, but in 2024 the board proposed rule changes that removed member representation provisions.
“Since June 2025, there has been no member representatives able to observe or comment on how the society is run.”
Since June 2025, there has been no member representatives able to observe or comment on how the society is run
He and Celia Hadfield, formerly leader for West Kent and the Sussex border area, have now got the support of more than 300 members to call for an elected nine-member ‘volunteer advocate team’. They would provide a layer of oversight of how the mutual is being led.
However, the Benenden board is believed to be opposing this – and pointing, instead, to its current ‘member engagement forum’, which Mr Hatcher says is selected by the board and limited in its powers. It was unanimously supported at last year’s AGM. Although David Hatcher points out that only a tiny fraction of members actually engage in the AGM and cast a vote.
In 2025, for example, of its 870,000 members, only around 17,000 voted on the various motions. That’s less than 2%.
He will be presenting his case at the AGM in order to protect the mutual aspect of the healthcare service.
“Beneden Healthcare is, I believe, the best thing you can get on the market,” he adds.
“But the issue is that the board and chairman over the last nine years have overseen a decline in member involvement.
“The average member has no idea what’s going on in the society. They join in case they ever need health assistance and are blind to the way the organisation is being managed on their behalf.
“I believe the board don’t want the interference of members telling them how they should run the society that the members own. They don’t want to be questioned over it.
“By moving to a situation where you’ve got no members who are really clued up on what the organisation is all about, what its current spend is and everything else, is an advantage to the board because they’re never going to be challenged over anything they do.”
He also points to plans at the AGM to scrap limits on management expenses and budgets for future projects or acquisitions; previously capped.
He admits few members will engage with the AGM process or have any real understanding of the measures being voted on. As a result, he fears, significant changes could be imposed.
There is no suggestion the board of Benenden has acted in any way improperly, but, David Hatcher stresses, its ownership structure requires it to be open and answerable at all levels to its member-owners.
But he says those concerned should vote in support of the advocate team proposal ahead of the June 24 AGM.
Society bosses, however, refute the claims.
A spokesperson for Benenden Health said: “As a proud mutual, Benenden Health is solely run for the benefit of our members and we are committed to strong, stable governance and meaningful member engagement.
“In addition to the member-nominated non-executive board directors, our members have multiple, well‑established routes to make their individual voices heard – including direct voting at our AGM – where our 870,000 members are invited to have their say and influence the direction of the society.
“At our last AGM, over 94% of voting members voted in favour of simplifying our governance and to establish the member forum.
“This forum held its first meeting in May 2026 and connects members directly with senior leaders.
“Whilst we respect the right of members to bring new proposals to the forthcoming AGM, our priority is to ensure the member forum is given sufficient time and space to succeed.
“We believe introducing an additional structure at this stage would hinder effective decision making and create unnecessary complexity for members, who voted for these changes at our last AGM.”
