In the latest of our quarterly updates, we use our unique, national dataset to look at the key trends in the independent healthcare sector up to, and including, Q2 2024. The data covers reported private healthcare in-patient/day-case market activity, insured cases, ‘self-pay’, along with national/regional and procedural breakdowns and demographic information. (Q1 = Jan – Mar; Q2 = Apr – Jun; Q3 = Jul – Sep; Q4 Oct – Dec)
Private healthcare sector market activity
In-patient/day-care admissions comparison Q1 2019 – Q2 2024
Q2 2024 in Wales at a glance
- There were around 7,900 reported private in-patient/day-care admissions for the second quarter in a row in Wales, which are records.
- Wales remains the only UK nation where self-pay – where patients fund their own treatment from their savings, a loan or fundraising – is the dominant payment method.
- Self-pay admissions were at their second highest level after a record high in Q1 2024.
- The use of private medical insurance (PMI) was down just 1% from the record levels in Q1 2024. They were 13% above levels in Q2 2023.
Record independent healthcare in-patient admissions in Wales in Q2 2024
Reported admissions dipped just below 7,900 in Q2 2024, meaning they are at their second highest level ever (after Q1 2024). Unlike the wider UK, there was not a noticeable seasonal reduction in admissions from Q1 to Q2 2024.
Admission change by volume in Wales (Q2 2023 v Q2 2024)
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Private medical insurance admissions continue to grow as self-pay remains steady
Insured admissions
When comparing Q2 2024 to Q2 2023, the number of admissions funded by private medical insurance were up by 13% in Wales.
Self-pay admissions
Self-pay admissions in Wales have remained fairly consistent over the past seven quarters, but reached their highest ever level in Q1 2024 and reduced only very slightly in Q2 2024.
Since Q2 2021, self-pay (57%) has been the dominant payment method in Wales. Despite a rise in popularity since the end of the Covid pandemic lock downs across the UK, Wales remains the only nation where this is the case.
Insured and Self-pay change % (Q2 2023 v Q2 2024) (based on non-rounded figures)
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Admissions (rounded) in Wales by payment method (Q2 2023 v Q2 2024)
Top 10 procedures (Q2 2023 v Q2 2024)
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There was an increase in reported admissions in seven of the Top 10 procedures by volume when comparing Q2 2023 and Q2 2024.
‘Cataract surgery’ had the biggest increase by volume (265). ‘Colonoscopy – diagnostic’ had the biggest percentage increase (13%) of the Top 10 procedures.
‘Hip replacement (primary)’ had the biggest decrease by volume (65) and percentage (12%), although this can be explained by PHIN introducing separate reporting for traditional hip replacement and robot-assisted hip replacement.
Active consultants in private healthcare
The number of consultants active in private healthcare was at the highest level in Wales since the pandemic and second highest since PHIN began collecting data. The number of active consultants in Q2 2024 was 5% higher than Q2 2023.
Quarterly comparison of active consultants for the top 10 PHIN specialties (Q2 2023 v Q2 2024)
There was an increase in the number of active consultants across all Top 10 specialties in Wales, except for ‘Urology’. The largest increase by volume (13) came in ‘Trauma and Orthopaedics’ and percentage (53%) being in ‘Gastroenterology’.
Patient demographics
Volume of admissions by sex and payment method (Q2 2023 v Q2 2024)
There was an increased number of insured admissions for both sexes compared to the same quarter in 2023.
Insured admissions for female patients grew by 17%, and for male patients by 8%.
Self-pay admissions increased for female patients (1%), but decreased for males (-1%).
Purchaser type and sex (Q2 2023 v Q2 2024)
Change in volume of admissions by age
There was an increase in admissions in the age groups from 20-89 from Q2 2023 to Q2 2024. The largest increase by volume was in the 70-79 age-group (100). The 20-29 age group had the biggest increase by percentage (9%).
Wales was the only nation in the UK not to have any admissions in the 0-9 and 10-19 age groups.
Important notes
All data described above taken from PHIN’s unique, national private dataset describing discharge activity (day case and inpatient). This excludes activity outside of PHIN’s mandate from the Competition and Markets Authority, such as outpatient diagnostics and mental health.
There is a time lag between collecting, validating and processing the data we receive from hospitals before we can publish it. This can be up to 6 months after treatment has been completed, to ensure a fair process and accurate data.
Activity numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5, with percentage based on the unrounded figures.
