New research into the information patients want and need when considering private healthcare
Private hospital admissions are increasing, but that growth does not mean patients always find decisions easy when it comes to ‘going private’. That’s according to research from the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN), the independent organisation that collects and publishes data on the safety, quality and costs of independent healthcare in the UK.
Its new report Creating confidence : What do patients need from private healthcare information?, published today (4 August) shows that many people still feel unsure about how private healthcare works, where to look for information and which sources they can trust.
Headline survey findings
- 77% of the UK public are open to using private healthcare
- Of the 84% who would research private healthcare before using it, 28% wouldn’t know where to start.
- Only 26% feel ‘very confident’ in organising and using private healthcare
- Only 29% feel it’s easy to make decisions without trusted information, dropping to 9% among those who self-report as having low confidence
- 82% of people would consider using the information provided by PHIN once its role was explained
Patients need more support
With 953,000 reported private hospital admissions in 2025, a total that has increased in each of the past five years, it is clear that a growing proportion of the population is using private healthcare.
The lack of confidence around private healthcare choices revealed in the PHIN survey shows the problem impacts a significant number of people.
According to the report, although most survey respondents would do some research before using private healthcare, a large share said they would not know where to start. The problem is compounded by a lack of health literacy, with NHS England saying 43% of adults do not understand written health information.
Dr Ian Gargan, PHIN Chief Executive, said: “This matters because patients make choices throughout their healthcare journey, often when they already feel unwell, or are uncertain, and under pressure to find the funds, because of time urgency or a lack of knowledge of their options. They may also be weighing up the cost of treatment against that of not being able to return to work quickly; a decision which can impact the wider economy and not just their own personal circumstances.”
“There are several underlying issues at play, not least the lack of health literacy among the UK population.
With private healthcare playing a growing role in the UK healthcare landscape, straightforward access to reliable, accurate, independent and trusted information is especially important to help patients understand their options and make informed decisions. This includes which consultant or hospital to consider, what funding route to use, which information sources to rely on, or whether to go private at all.
PHIN’s report shows that assurance, awareness and priorities vary depending on age, income, funding route and previous experience of private healthcare.
Gargan added: “We work with all the UK’s private hospitals and the NHS to provide independent and unbiased information. We were created by the government and the private sector to share the facts patients need, and do so at no cost to those using our services or the taxpayer.
“Whether patients are opting to ‘go private’ or taking advantage of their ‘right to choose’ through the NHS, we can give all patients greater confidence in navigating their choices. We already get more than 600,000 visitors to our website, www.phin.org.uk , each year, but we are ready and able to help so many more people make more informed decisions.”
Strong support for PHIN’s role
Once PHIN’s role (as a free service which helps people make decisions about using private healthcare) had been explained, 82% of survey respondents said they would consider using it if they, or a loved one, were thinking of using private healthcare.
Respondents also rated PHIN very positively on helpfulness, confidence, reliability, trustworthiness and impartiality.
For patients, PHIN serves as a source of unbiased, free, understandable information at different stages of their healthcare journey and helps to close the confidence gap.
