Total reported private hospital and clinic admission figures in the UK remained high at 234,000 in Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2025, but there were around 5,000 fewer admissions (-2%) than in the same period a year earlier, according to the latest figures released by the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN).
PHIN collects this data from the 650+ hospitals across the UK providing private diagnosis and treatment. They are legally required to submit data to PHIN so that it can make this information available to the public.
The decline was seen across each of the UK nations except for Scotland which saw an increase in reported admissions.
- England: 206,465 admissions (-3%)
- Northern Ireland: 5,765 admissions (-3%)
- Scotland: 13,455 admissions (+3%)
- Wales: 8,015 admissions (-2%)
Cataract surgery (19,150) remains the top procedure by number of admissions, with chemotherapy (18,540) in second, and diagnostic upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy (11,325) in third. Chemotherapy is the only procedure in the Top 10 by volume of admissions which increased from Q2 2024 to Q2 2025.
When looking at just admissions funded with private medical insurance, chemotherapy (17,240) is the top procedure by some distance with almost double the number of admissions of diagnostic upper GI endoscopy (9,890) in second place.
The most popular procedures among those patients who were self-paying – using their savings or a loan – for their treatment are cataract surgery (11,795), hip replacements (3,910) and knee replacements (1,930).
During the same period, private hospitals and clinics also conducted over 1.3 million NHS funded procedures. The majority of these were in ophthalmology, and trauma and orthopaedics.
“The apparent slow down in private healthcare admissions could represent several things. For instance, it could reflect improvements in NHS waiting lists, or a change in the type of procedures people are looking for and the way they are delivered. For example, the popularity of weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro could be contributing to the 58% decrease in reported gastrectomies for weight loss.
“New clinical and technological developments also mean more care can be delivered without a patient needing to be admitted to a hospital or clinic so they would not be included in our figures.
“The slight increase in private admissions for chemotherapy (2%) – and the fact that it is the second highest procedure by volume – which is driven by demand in England, could be linked to recent reports[1] that almost every hospital trust in England is failing to meet the key NHS waiting time target for cancer care so some patients are seeking care elsewhere.”
Richard Wells, PHIN’s Director of Technology and Insights
PHIN is a not-for-profit, independent organisation which is backed by the UK government. Its quarterly updates are based on its unique national dataset, which includes validated hospital activity from private hospitals and clinics across the UK.
For further information, visit www.phin.org.uk
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For more information, please contact Alistair Moses on alistair.moses@phin.org.uk or 07778 976 971.
About the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN)
PHIN is the independent, government-mandated source of information on privately funded healthcare in the UK. PHIN believes that transparency and better information enable better care, and exists to support patient choice and to provide data that helps drive improvement in healthcare.
With a mandate from the Competition and Markets Authority, PHIN is responsible for producing quality and safety data on privately funded healthcare in the UK, and publishing performance measures through its website.
With over 900,000 private healthcare admissions in the past year, the need for patients to be informed about their options is increasingly important and the PHIN website bridges that gap.
