In the latest of our quarterly updates, we use our unique national dataset to provide a comprehensive view of the key trends in Wales’s independent healthcare sector, covering data up to and including the end of Q2 2025.
The data covers private healthcare in-patient/day-case market activity and includes breakdowns by year for insured cases, ‘self-pay’, Top 10 procedures and demographics.
(Q1 = Jan – Mar; Q2 = Apr – Jun; Q3 = Jul – Sep; Q4 = Oct – Dec)
Private healthcare sector market activity
At a glance
Changes from Q2 2024 to Q2 2025:
- Reported private hospital/clinic admissions were down 2% in Wales.
- Private medical insurance admissions remained at the same level.
- Self-pay admissions decreased by 4%.
- Funding for admissions was 38% insurance and 63% self-pay.
Private healthcare in-patient admissions down in the second quarter of 2025
The total number of admissions in Q2 2025 was 8,015 which is 2% below Q2 2024. This reflects the trend across the UK with only Scotland seeing an increase.
Self-pay continues to be the dominant payment method in Wales, unlike any other UK nation.
Self-pay down and private medical insurance funded admissions remain constant
Self-pay admissions
Self-pay admissions in Wales in Q2 2025 were down by 95 (4%) compared to Q2 2024.
Self-pay was down in Wales and across all but three of the English regions.
Insured admissions
Reported admissions paid for with private medical insurance in Q2 2025 remained at the same level (3,400) compared to the same period in 2024.
Insured admissions fell in Northern Ireland and every English region except one, although they rose in Scotland.
Table 1. Q2 admissions with insured payment method (rounded figures)
| Year | Insured | Self-pay |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 2023 | 3,065 | 4,370 |
| Q2 2024 | 3,455 | 4,745 |
| Q2 2025 | 3,465 | 4,550 |
The proportion of admissions paid for using each funding method was the same as in Q2 2024.
Top 10 procedures
There was an increase in admissions for four of the Top 10 procedures by volume when comparing Q2 2025 to Q2 2024.
‘Cataract surgery’ (2,370 admissions) is the largest procedure by volume, but decreased by 120 (4.8%). ‘Hip replacement’ (520) is the second highest and increased by 45 (9.5%). ‘Knee arthroscopy’ had the largest percentage increase (13%), but is a less common procedure (305).
The Top 3 procedures by Q2 volume are:
- ‘Cataract surgery’ (2,370)
- ‘Hip replacement’ (520)
- ‘Upper GI endoscopy - diagnostic’ (290)
Active consultants in private healthcare
The number of consultants active in private healthcare regularly fluctuates as new consultants start working in the private sector, and existing ones go on sabbatical, stop working privately, or retire.
In Q2 2025, there were 14 more active consultants than in Q2 2024.
‘General Surgery’ had the largest volume increase in active consultants in the top 10 procedure groups (11 extra consultants), at 20% it also had the largest percentage increase.
‘Diagnostic imaging’ had the biggest declines by volume (39) and percentage (93%).
Patient demographics
There was a decline of 2% in admissions for both sexes.
Self-pay funded admissions declined by 4% for both male and female patients. Insured admissions fell by 6% for female patients, but rose by 7% for male patients compared to Q2 2024.
Table 3. Volume of admissions by sex and payment method
| Sex | Admissions Q2 2024 | Admissions Q2 2025 | Funding type | Comparison Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 2,625 | 2,525 | Self-pay | -4% |
| Male | 2,060 | 1,975 | Self-pay | -4% |
| Male | 1,735 | 1,850 | Insured | +7% |
| Female | 1,700 | 1,600 | Insured | -6% |
There was a decrease in admissions in all age groups except for the 30-39, 80-89 and 90- 99 year olds in Q2 2025 compared to the same quarter in 2024. Of those groups, the largest volume increase (30) was for the 30-39 year olds and percentage increase (20%) came in the 90-99 year old group.
Conversely, the largest volume decrease (110) was in the 70-79 group and percentage decrease (15%) was in the 0-9 age group.
Important notes (updated)
All data described above is taken from PHIN’s unique, national private dataset describing discharge activity (day case and inpatient). This excludes activity outside of PHIN’s mandate from the Competition and Markets Authority, such as outpatient diagnostics, physiotherapy and mental health services.
There is a time lag between collecting, validating and processing the data we receive from hospitals before we can publish it. This can be up to six months after treatment has been completed, to ensure a fair process and accurate data.
On occasions, hospitals may submit data after our deadline. This will not be included in the current quarter’s Market Update, but will in added to future ones. For this reason, we always recommend only using figures from the latest Update as they can change.
For ease of use, we have reduced the number of years of data shown in the Market Update, if you would like pre-2023 data, please get in touch.
Activity numbers have been rounded to the nearest five, with percentages based on the unrounded figures.
