The latest figures from the Private Healthcare Information Network show that admissions are being driven by the use of private medical insurance.
There were more private hospital admissions in the UK last year than in any previous year on record, with reported private hospital/clinic admissions up 3% from 2023 to hit 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, according to figures from non-profit organisation the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN).
The rise in figures was expected. As Healthcare Today reported in December, the number of reported private hospital admissions in the second quarter of 2024 hit a record level for that period indeed, it was the second-highest level ever after the first quarter of the year.
“There is no doubt that the private sector continued to make a significant contribution to the UK’s healthcare in 2024,” said Richard Wells, PHIN’s director of information.
“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,” he continued.
Private medical insurance
Although the first three months of the year had the highest-ever quarterly total for self-pay admissions at more than 73,000, London and Wales were the only areas that saw increased admissions for this payment method in 2024.
The significant change has been the use of private medical insurance.
“The significant rise in the proportion of people using private medical insurance also demonstrates the clear role that employers are playing in making it easier for people to access the healthcare they need, with our research showing over half of people saying they would be more likely to apply for a job if it offered this benefit,” said David Hare, chief executive of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN), in response to the figures.
The other change in the figures is that 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.
