Private healthcare is used by people of all ages and backgrounds, it depends on what they want and need. Understanding who ‘goes private’ can help you feel more knowledgeable so you can make more informed choices. And that’s what PHIN’s here to help you with.

Who is a typical private patient in the UK?

If you're considering private healthcare, you might be wondering: am I typical of the people who use it? Using our data, we can give a quick picture of the type of people who most often use private healthcare.

Age profile

This care is most often used by people in their 50s, 60s and 70s.

• Around half of all admissions are for patients aged 50–79
• The single largest group is people in their 50s (around 1 in 5 patients)
• Younger adults and children make up a much smaller share

This shows that many treatments, especially planned procedures, are more common for older people.

Gender balance

Private care is used by both men and women, but there is a small difference:

• Just over half of patients are women (around 54%)
• Around 45% are men

This difference has stayed very similar over the past few years.

Paying for private care

On average 70% of private hospital admissions are paid for using private medical insurance . The remainder use what is called ‘ self-pay ’ (using savings or a loan).

What this means for you

There isn't a single ‘type’ of private patient, but based on our data:

• Many people using private hospital care are in mid to later life, and slightly more are women than men.
• Private healthcare is used by people of all ages and backgrounds.
• The number of people under 50 using private care has increased since the pandemic (2020).

Why this matters

Understanding who typically uses private healthcare can help you:

• Feel more confident if you are exploring your options
• Understand how common it is for people like you
• Put your own healthcare choices into context

About PHIN's data

PHIN gathers this information to help patients understand private care and make smart choices.

The figures are based on private hospital day case and overnight admissions. They may differ for outpatient care or diagnostics.

The overall pattern of patient type has stayed consistent over the time PHIN has been collecting data.

A small number of records (1%) have missing or unknown information, but this is not enough to stop us being able to show a full picture of the private healthcare sector.

Learn more

Our Patient Insights Explorer can help you learn more about patients like you. It shows how private hospital admissions, length of stay and safety incidents in the UK vary by patient characteristics, including by patient age, gender, ethnicity and pre-existing conditions. It’s an interactive tool, so you can change the options to suit your needs.

Built with patients in mind, the Explorer presents clear, plain English summaries and interactive charts covering three areas of care.