There were more private hospital admissions in the UK in 2024 than in any previous year on record, according to the latest data from the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) – the independent organisation which publishes information about the safety, quality and costs of private healthcare. Reported private hospital/clinic admissions were up 3% from 2023 to reach 939,000.
The volume and proportion of admissions funded by private medical insurance continued to grow, whereas self-pay (where patients pay for their procedures through savings, loans or fund-raising) fell by 3% compared to 2023. This was despite the first three months of 2024 having the highest ever quarterly total for self-pay admissions at over 73,000. London and Wales were the only areas that saw increased admissions for this payment method in 2024.
Richard Wells, Director of Technology and Insights, said: “There is no doubt that the private sector continued 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.”
NHS admissions also at high levels
Despite it being a record year for privately funded hospital admissions, as a proportion of overall elective admissions in England, these were lower in 2024 (by 1%) than any year since 2020. NHS funded admissions in an NHS facility made up 84% of all admissions, privately funded admissions 9%, and NHS funded admissions in a private facility 6%. There was also a very small proportion (1%) of admissions that were paid for privately, but carried out by the NHS.
Richard added: “PHIN publishes this information, and more, as part of its mission to improve people’s understanding of healthcare so that they make more informed decisions, and to help the sector make improvements to patient experiences.”
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