Summary
The UK private healthcare sector has reached compliance with the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order 2014, marking a major milestone in transparency. Patients now have access to unprecedented levels of information on hospital performance, consultant outcomes, and costs, helping them make more informed decisions about private healthcare.
Private sector achieves compliance with the Competition and Markets Authority’s Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order 2014
London 2 July 2026: There is now more data available on the safety, quality and costs of UK private healthcare than ever before, making it easier for patients to choose a hospital and consultant to conduct tests and operations if they choose to ‘go private’.
The UK’s private healthcare sector has achieved compliance with the transparency provisions of the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order 2014 (the Order), which set out to enable patients to choose the hospital consultant that best meets their needs.
The not-for-profit, independent, Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) which led the implementation says its website (www.phin.org.uk) now contains information on the 690 hospitals and 12,600 surgical consultants offering private healthcare services in the UK, and much more, including guides to how to pay for private healthcare. The website already receives over 50,000 unique patient visits a month on average, but with over 80,000 people admitted to a private hospital each month, PHIN says it can help so many more make more informed choices.
Dr Ian Gargan, PHIN Chief Executive, said:
“Patients have always been at the heart of what we do and with record levels of data now being published on our website they are better able than ever to make informed decisions about their healthcare. Thanks to PHIN’s work, there has never been more comprehensive safety, quality and cost information available about the private healthcare sector.
“We are grateful for the support of our colleagues at the CMA, across the private sector and in the NHS private patient units (PPUs) in the delivery of this complex and important Market Investigation Order.
“This is just the beginning of PHIN’s journey. We will continue to work with the hospitals and consultants to uphold the Order, as well as building our value to the whole sector and especially to patients in the years to come.”
Geoff Steadman, Senior Director of Markets at the CMA, said:
“This is an important milestone which ensures patients have more transparency about the performance and price of using private hospitals and consultants. This makes it easier for patients to choose the right hospital and consultant for their needs – and it’s encouraging to see the PHIN website being used by so many patients to support those decisions.
“We will continue to monitor and enforce compliance with the measures we put in place, to ensure patients can continue to make informed decisions about their healthcare.”
Jayne Scott, PHIN Chair, said:
“This is a proud moment for PHIN, CMA and the wider private healthcare sector who have all worked so diligently to reach this significant milestone. More importantly, it is a significant development for people thinking about or using private healthcare. They now have the richest resource of information ever from an independent, not-for-profit organisation, backed by a government body.”
Professor Henrietta Hughes, Patient Safety Commissioner for England, said:
“This milestone represents an important step forward for patient safety. Improved flow of information, especially for those with implantable devices, will help ensure issues can be identified and acted on more quickly, strengthening protection for patients. Crucially, more transparent and accessible data also means people have better upfront information about their options, enabling them to make confident, informed decisions when considering private healthcare.”
David Hare, Chief Executive of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN), said:
“With record numbers of patients now choosing to “go private” for their treatment, it’s never been more important for the public to have access to reliable, up to date information on private healthcare and the choices available to them.
"I would like to pay tribute to PHIN, along with the thousands of consultants and healthcare providers, who have worked so hard to meet this milestone to ensure patients are as informed as possible and can access the best possible healthcare.”
Q&As
What is the announcement about?
The UK private healthcare sector has achieved compliance with the CMA’s 2014 Order, ensuring greater transparency in performance data, patient outcomes, and costs.
Why is this important for patients?
Patients now have access to clear, comparable information about hospitals and consultants, making it easier to choose the right care based on quality, safety, and price.
What role has PHIN played?
PHIN has led the implementation of the Order, publishing data and building a public website that provides detailed information on private healthcare services across the UK.
What information is available to the public?
PHIN’s website includes data on 690 hospitals and 12,600 consultants, as well as information on safety, quality, costs, and guides on paying for treatment.
How many people are using PHIN’s website?
The website currently attracts over 50,000 users per month, although there is potential to reach many more of the 80,000 patients admitted to private hospitals each month.
Who has been involved in achieving compliance?
This milestone has been achieved through collaboration between PHIN, the CMA, private healthcare providers, and NHS private patient units.
What does this mean for the future of private healthcare transparency?
Compliance is just the beginning. PHIN will continue to expand and improve its data to further support patients and strengthen transparency across the sector.
How does this support patient choice?
By providing consistent, independent, and comprehensive data, patients can compare providers and consultants more easily and make informed decisions about their care.
