Record number of patients treated

Statistics gathered by the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) show private healthcare is riding high.

Consultants providing private healthcare have, as expected, helped set new records for the number of patients being treated.

There were more private in-patient admissions in 2023 than any year since records began, beating previous record high in 2022.

And the Private Healthcare Information Network’s (PHIN’s) figures in its latest market update also confirm insured and self-pay admissions are at their highest levels ever.

The number of consultants active in private practice is at its highest level since the pandemic. 

Here are the key trends compiled and provided by PHIN.

Private healthcare sector market activity 

At a glance

2023 v 2022:

 Private admissions up 7% across the UK;

 Self-pay admissions up 1% and at highest level ever; 

 Private medical insurance admissions up 11% and at record levels;

 Second year in a row with admissions at above pre-pandemic levels;

 2022 had previously been a record year. 

2023 v 2019 (pre-pandemic)

 Private admissions up 15% across the UK.

 Self-pay up 39%.

 Insured admissions up 7%.

Record independent healthcare inpatient admissions in 2023 

The total number of admissions in 2023 was 898,000 (7% above 2022), meaning the private sector had more admissions than in any previous year on record.

Although Q4 2023 reflected the annual pattern and was 5% above the equivalent quarter in 2022, with insured admissions up 9%, self-pay admissions were down slightly (2%). 

For the year as a whole, the number of admissions rose in Northern Ireland by 56%, the highest increase by far of any nation. Wales (7%), Scotland (11%) and England (6%) all grew at similar levels

 

 

Private medical insurance and self-pay admissions at record annual levels

Insured admissions

The number of admissions paid for with private medical insurance was at the highest level ever in Q4 2023, contributing to the record annual figure. 

There were 13,000 more insured admissions than in the same period in 2022 (9% up) and across the year there were 60,000 more insured admissions than in 2022 (11% increase). 

Compared to 2022, the number of admissions using private medical insurance rose in every English region – 11% for the whole of England. They also rose in Scotland (13%), Wales (1%) and Northern Ireland (17%).  

The biggest rises for insured admissions in England came in the East Midlands (14%) and London (12%). The largest rises by volume were in London (23,800) and the South-east (8,600) followed by the East of England (6,700). 

Self-pay admissions

Self-pay admissions dropped by 2,000 (-2%) in Q4 2023 compared to Q4 in 2022. This small decline by quarter was not reflected in the annual total, which was higher than 2022, largely thanks to the record levels in Q1 2023. Overall, self-pay admissions were up by 3,000 (1%) across the year.  

In 2023, admissions financed by self-pay fell in every English region compared to 2022 levels, except the East of England (4%) and the North-east (5%). 

The biggest percentage fall in England came in the East Midlands (-7%) and the North West (-7%). London and the North-west had the largest fall by volume.

 

Self-pay continued to grow in the devolved nations in 2023: Northern Ireland (+144%), Scotland (+8%) and Wales (+11%) were all above 2022 figures. 

Top ten procedures UK (2022 v 2023) 

The biggest increases by volume in admissions in the top ten procedures were for diagnostic upper-GI endoscopies. 

These increased by 3,595 (9%). The next biggest volume increase was in ‘diagnostic colonoscopy – bowel’ at 2,955 (9%). 

The biggest decrease was in cataract surgery which was -5,615 (7%). Therapeutics – chemotherapy were also down (5.5%). 

Market trends from 2022 to 2023

When looking beyond just the top ten procedures, there was a 99% increase in peripheral nerve blocks – a type of regional anaesthetic – but a fall (-25%) in spinal injections. 

Three types of cosmetic surgeries – rhinoplasty (-16%), septo­rhinoplasty (-11%) and breast enlarge­ment (-11%) – were also down. Cosmetic surgery is nearly always paid for by self-pay and so the fall in these could be related to the cost-of-living crisis, PHIN suggests.

Active consultants in private healthcare by year

The number of consultants active in private healthcare regularly fluctuates and in 2023 was at the highest level since the pandemic.

 

The largest increase in active consultants in the top ten procedure groups was in gastroenterology with an extra 59 consultants (7%). 

Clinical oncology had the largest percentage increase (12%). Three procedures – general surgery (-2%), plastic surgery (-1%) and medical oncology (-2%) – had fewer active consultants than in 2022.  

Patient demographics

Volume of admissions by sex and payment method

There were more insured admissions and self-pay admissions for both sexes in 2023 compared to 2022. 

Insured admissions were up equally for both sexes at 10% compared to 2022. 

Self-pay grew slightly (2%) for male admissions but remained the same for female admissions in 2023. 

Volume of admissions by age

There was an increase in admissions in all age groups in 2023 compared to the previous year. The largest percentage increases were in the 100-109 (80%) and 30-39 (10%) age groups.  

The most common age group for private admissions was 50-59 – 14,105 more admissions than 2022.

Important notes

All data described above taken from PHIN’s unique, national private dataset describing discharge activity (day case and inpatient). This excludes activity outside of PHIN’s mandate from the Comp­etition and Markets Auth­ority, such as outpatient diagnostics, physiotherapy and mental health services.

There is a time lag between collecting, validating and processing the data we receive from hospitals before we can publish it. This can be up to six months after treatment has been completed, to ensure a fair process and accurate data. 

Activity numbers have been rounded to the nearest five, with percentage based on the unrounded figures. (Q1 = Jan – Mar; Q2 = Apr – Jun; Q3 = Jul – Sep; Q4 Oct – Dec). 

• See ‘Patients spent record amount on health last year’