A record number of poorly Brits are ditching the “chronic” NHS waiting lists to go private, new data reveals.
And the good news for hard-up patients is the prices are coming down too despite the cost-of-living-crisis and inflation.
The Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) – a government-backed independent organisation which informs patients about the costs of private healthcare – has today (3rd June) revealed last year more Brits were using it than ever before.
READ MORE: Mum horrified as baby’s head begins to FLATTEN weeks after birth
Patients are being told to not feel guilty for turning their back on the NHS and to do their research for all the options available to them.
The skint and sick are being advised that as more people opt for private healthcare it will continue to make it more affordable for all.
Dr Ian Gargan – Chief Executive of PHIN – said doing it even just once is not a “betrayal” of the NHS.
He heaped praise on the public health service but said the two sectors can work together.
In the UK as a whole 939,000 went private in 2024, which was 3% up on 2023.
London was one of the biggest boom areas with the East of England being the only region where the numbers went down.
In Scotland, there was a rise of 6% up to 50,000 private hospital admissions in 2024.
There was the same increase – 6% – in Wales – with 32,000 and a 12% hike in Northern Ireland to 24,000.
More Brits are using private cover – being offered more as incentives by some employers – to fund it rather than savings.
Procedures like colonoscopes and gastroscopes are among those to rise.
But cataracts, hip and knee ops for those aged over 50.
However, younger generations are using it for blood tests and X-rays.
Dr Gargan said: “The most valuable thing to patients is having their procedures done in a timely fashion.
“When they need them and done by the best person who they know has the best quality outcomes.
“A driver would be employers giving more private medical insurance so people have more access.
“So you can see from the figures that private medical insurance usage is up while self-pay is down.
“So we think it’s to do with employers giving access to employees to have that private healthcare.”
He said going private doesn’t mean people can’t go back to the NHS – which millions of Brits have great loyalty to.
“The waiting list in the NHS, people just feel that it’s chronic,” he added.
“I think there is a little more confidence in the market for people to know that if they leave the NHS
waiting list, it doesn’t mean that they’ve relinquished their relationship with the NHS.
“The NHS is a very unique, amazing organisation.
“It’s very much in the psyche and entrenched in individuals in this country, rightfully, that they’re afforded free accessible healthcare because they pay their taxes.
“And that is a commitment that all governments have made.
“So I think there’s a real sense that people are reluctant to leave the NHS, they respect it and it’s a shrine and they know that it’s full of great people who work really hard.
“I’ve met a lot of patients who think if they go and access private healthcare, it’s almost a betrayal of the NHS.
“And that they won’t be able to access the NHS again if they go and use private healthcare.
“Which is completely inaccurate.
“You’d never lose your NHS number. You have your designated GP and you can always return to the NHS again.”
And the good news is due to there being more demand for private healthcare the cost of treatment is coming down.
Asked about the costs, Dr Gargan said: “It’s getting more competitive.
“It’s crossed a million now, people having interventions in private healthcare every year.
“So that’s steadily grown over the last three or four years.
“The prices are pretty stable. And if anything, they’re probably more competitive and going down because of the demand.”
Richard Wells, PHIN’s Director of Information, said: “There is no doubt that the private sectorcontinued to make a significant contribution to the UK’s healthcare in 2024.
“Every country saw record figures for several measures, including total admissions, insured admissions, and number of active consultants.
“And it was sustained growth; every quarter in 2024 had a record number of admissions compared to the equivalent period in previous years.
“Private hospital admissions are also becoming more universal.
“People in their 50s remain the biggest users of private healthcare, but there was an increase in admissions for all age groups from 0 to 69.
“With the recent news that NHS waiting lists have increased in March 2025, it’s likely that PHIN will continue to report record levels of private hospital admissions.
“Our research shows that people often aren’t familiar with the private sector and anyone considering private treatment, or being given the choice to go to a private hospital by the NHS, should visit our free-to-use, unbiased website – www.phin.org.uk.
“To find out more about how the private sector works, and the hospitals and consultants across the UK who can help them.”
