Private hospitals will get a £52 million tax break on their business rates through their charitable status over the next five years while the bill for NHS hospitals rises, research has revealed.

More than one in four private hospitals are estimated to be registered as charities and can therefore receive rate relief, according to analysis by CVS, the business rates specialist.

It calculated that this tax perk would save private hospitals in England and Wales £51.9 million in the next five years. Changes to the business rates system that came into effect in April mean that the bill for NHS hospitals in England and Wales will increase by 21 per cent to £1.83 billion over the same period.

Nuffield Health, Britain’s third largest charity by