Private hospital admissions hit record levels in the third quarter of the 2024, with those from private medical insurance (PMI) up 9% year-on-year.
Latest data from the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) revealed there were 158,000 hospital admissions coming through PMI in July through to September 2024.
While this was up from 151,000 in the corresponding period of 2023, it was down from a peak of 169,000 at the start of 2024 which followed the typical annual cycle.
PMI admissions up across England
When comparing Q3 2024 to Q3 2023, the number of admissions funded by private medical insurance rose in every English region and was the highest for Q3 on record.
London once again had the most insured admissions rising from 55,000 to 58,000, followed by the South East at 28,000.
But insured admissions also grew in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Admissions up, self-pay down
Overall there were 223,000 admissions in Q3 2024, a 1% increase the same period in 2023.
While there was a small decrease in admissions (5%) from Q2 2024, this followed the seasonal pattern of 2023.
The gap in admissions between those paying with PMI and those using self-pay narrowed to 93,000 admissions, due to a larger decrease in PMI than self-pay.
Self-pay has proven consistently more popular than it was before the pandemic and remains 30% above pre-pandemic levels (Q3 2019), despite a sustained decline from its peak in Q1 2023.
Self-pay continued to fall away in all English regions and the devolved nations when comparing Q3 2024 to Q3 2023.
Increased number of episodes
When it comes to procedures, there was an increased number of episodes in seven of the top 10 procedures by volume when comparing Q3 2023 and Q3 2024. Therapeutics – chemotherapy reported the largest increase (9%).
PHIN now reports hip and knee replacement surgery separately with and without robot-assistance. Traditional hip and knee replacement surgery decreased by 10% (735) and 11% (500) respectively.
Robotic assisted surgery for hip and knee replacements has increased 40% (525) and 46% (760) when compared to Q3 2023.
Away from the top 10 procedures, breast lifts (-27%) and reductions (-13%) were all down from Q3 2023, as were face lifts (-16%) and tummy tucks (-10%).
Weight loss surgery was also down for gastric bypass surgery (-23%), gastrectomy (-14%) and gastric ballon insertion (-22%). These are all often cosmetic procedures which are not usually available on the NHS or through PMI.
While the number of consultants active in private healthcare regularly fluctuates, this was up 202 (1.9%) from Q3 2023 to Q3 2024. The number of active consultants (10,900) in Q3 2024 remained at the highest since the pandemic.
Patient demographics
The data revealed there was an increased number of insured admissions and reduction in self-paid admissions for both sexes compared to the same quarter in 2023.
The growth in insured admissions for men was 3,500 (4.9%) compared to 3,300 (4.1%) for women.
The drop in self-pay admissions was also at a similar level for men at 1,300 (-4.4%) compared to 3,000 (-7.3%) for women.
Admissions for women continued to be higher than for men across both payment methods.
The go-to option
Brett Hill, head of health and protection at Broadstone, said: “The private healthcare market is now the go-to option for millions. Whether self-funded or employer-backed, people are choosing faster access to care over waiting in line for NHS treatment.
“The surge in PMI admissions from Q3 2023 highlights the growing importance of private medical insurance in helping businesses provide their workforce with fast and reliable access to healthcare.
“With NHS delays threatening to push millions out of work due to untreated conditions, businesses are increasingly turning to PMI as a proactive solution to safeguard both employee health and productivity.
“Even in the face of a higher tax burden from April, we expect demand for private healthcare to keep growing. NHS waiting lists show no real progress in returning to pre-pandemic levels, and businesses will continue turning to the private sector to get employees treated quickly and back to work,” he added.
