Infographic: The state of private pay in the UK
The UK’s Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) has released its private market update for September 2022, showing the state of private pay in the UK. As is expected with NHS backlogs at a record high, private healthcare is performing very well compared to pre-pandemic levels.
The independent, government-mandated organisation publishes performance and fees information about private consultants and hospitals.
Comparing the number of self-pay admissions to private facilities for hip and primary knee replacements, it is clear that demand has skyrocketed in Q1 2022 compared to Q1 2019. Hip replacement admissions were up 193% and knee replacements admissions were up 173% in the period.
Self-pay cataract surgery is up 56% and self-pay diagnostic colonoscopies are up 18% in the same time frame. Only two forms of surgery are down – breast prosthesis and breast enlargement which are down 8% and 47% respectively. The reduction in breast enlargements may show that patients’ disposable income is actually reducing due to inflationary pressures, and patients are prioritising what they need accordingly.
Looking at the number of self-pay and PMI admissions in total, it’s clear that in Q1 2022 the number of self-pay patients has grown significantly compared to previous years. The number of self-pay admissions is 68,000 – up 36% from Q1 2021. If this number was to stay consistent for the rest of 2022, the total self-pay admissions would be 272,000, a 5.4% increase compared to 2021.
Each region of the UK has seen an increase of at least 10% in self-pay admissions. The lowest is London – which is already a self-pay market dominated by players like Cleveland Clinic and HCA. The highest is Wales, which has seen self-pay admissions jump 114% compared to 2019.
PHIN’s data also showed the number of private consultants in April 2022 was 8,500 – down 6.5% compared to April 2019. The worst hit is general medicine, down 39% from Q1 2019 to Q1 2022.
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