Spire Healthcare has corrected an advert for a surgical procedure after a complaint that its listed pricing was misleading becoming the second hospital group to face the issue.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) contacted Spire Healthcare after it received a complaint about the prices for eyelid surgery on its website.
“We received a complaint about a website advertising blepharoplasty – eyelid surgery or eyebag removal,” the advertising regulator told Health & Protection.
“A complainant challenged whether the prices advertised were misleading.
“We approached the advertiser about the concerns that had been raised and they agreed to make changes to their advertising to address the complaint, because of this we resolved the case informally, without the need for formal investigation.”
Health & Protection understands the issue was related to the website for one hospital in the provider’s network.
There is no standard price for eyelid surgery, with prices varying across Spire Healthcare hospitals.
A sample of four locations conducted by Health & Protection saw prices listed from £4,980 in Edinburgh (initial consultation of £180 and treatment price from £4,800) and from £4,625 in Cardiff (£175 consultation and from £4,450 treatment).
In Southampton and Leeds prices started from £4,457 and from £4,357 respectively, but initial consultation fees were not included at both these locations.
Spire Healthcare did not wish to comment on the case.
Second hospital group
Spire Healthcare is the second private hospital group this year to amend an advert for its services due to a complaint to the ASA about potentially misleading prices.
In February, Circle Health updated an example fee for hernia surgery shown on its website to include the £1,318 cost of anaesthetist and consultant fees after a complaint was made to the advertising regulator.
An advert for inguinal hernia surgery on the Circle Health Group website stated: “The cost of hernia repair surgery starts from around £3,000.”
The page featuring the advert was subsequently updated to include the previously omitted fees which increased the price by more than £1,300.