Record levels of patients are choosing to pay for their care in private hospitals, new data shows.
Figures from the Private Heathcare Information Network (PHIN) suggest the number of patients paying for their hospital care hit 272,000 in 2022. This was 10,000 more compared to 2021 and higher than any previously recorded years, the PHIN said.
The report suggests that compared to years before the pandemic, 76 per cent more people are turning to private care for hip replacements, while 64 per cent more people paid for knee replacement operations.
However, cataract surgery and chemotherapy continued to be the most commonly paid-for procedures.
According to the PHIN, the number of operations paid for with medical insurance in 2022 reached its highest levels since 2019.
Overall, private referrals for insured and paying patients needing hospital admission hit 820,000 in 2022, compared to 757,000 in 2021 and 779,000 in 2019.
The figures come against a backdrop of growing waiting lists within the NHS – which hit a record 7.3 million patients in March.
In letters sent to hospitals on Wednesday setting out priorities for clearing this backlog in care, NHS England said: “A major contributor to our collective progress over this last year has been the way organisations and systems have worked together to accelerate treatment for long-waiting patients. This includes work with the independent sector (IS) who have stepped up to help in this endeavour.
“We know this will continue to be important this year and we encourage all systems and providers to crystalise their plans to work together (including IS) early in the financial year to give us the best chance of success.”
According to reports, prime minister Rishi Sunak, is expected to announce plans to encourage more patients to use the NHS app to book their appointments at private hospitals in a bid to slash waiting times.
NHS England data published this month revealed an average of 88,423 NHS procedures a week were carried out by private hospitals in 2022.
However, overall, the number of NHS procedures being sent to the private sector were last year 40 per cent higher than in 2019.
