Private healthcare admissions in the United Kingdom reached a record 953,000 in 2025, according to new data from the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN), marking the fifth consecutive year of growth and the fourth consecutive record high.
The total rose by 6,000 from 947,000 in 2024 and stood 23% above the 777,000 admissions recorded in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Insured admissions were the primary driver of the increase, reaching a record 670,000 in 2025, up 5,000 from 665,000 the previous year. Self-pay admissions, by contrast, grew only marginally, rising by 1,000 to 283,000 from 282,000 in 2024.
The number of consultants active in the private sector also reached an all-time high in 2025, approaching 13,400, a 2.9% increase on the previous year.
The figures come alongside NHS data showing that the diagnostic waiting list stood at 1.92 million in March 2026, up from 1.70 million in March 2025. The number of patients waiting six weeks or more for a diagnostic test rose by 94,000 over the same period, from 313,000 to 407,000. The numbers add further weight to the need for private healthcare to relieve pressure on the NHS, and calls for a reduction on insurance premium tax.
The trend was evident throughout 2025. A separate analysis conducted by Broadstone early in the year found that private medical insurance-funded admissions reached a record 500,000 during the first nine months of 2025, the highest level recorded for that period. The increase came despite NHS waiting lists remaining broadly unchanged at around 7.4 million treatment pathways. Broadstone said the figures pointed to a structural shift in healthcare access, with growing numbers of patients and employers turning to private medical insurance to secure faster diagnosis and treatment.
Brett Hill, head of health & protection at Broadstone, said the results demonstrated how central employer-funded private medical insurance (PMI) had become to the UK’s healthcare landscape.
“With sickness absence continuing to plague the workforce, businesses are facing growing costs and productivity pressures,” Hill said. “In response, healthcare benefits, like PMI, are increasingly being viewed less as a perk and more as a core tool for protecting workforce resilience thanks to their preventative care advantages.”
He noted that PMI claims inflation had shown signs of easing, offering some relief to businesses at renewal, though overall demand for private healthcare remained robust.
“Looking ahead, this trend looks set to continue,” Hill added. “With political uncertainty potentially disrupting planned NHS reforms and progress to tackle NHS waiting lists remaining slow, PMI is expected to remain firmly embedded within employee benefits strategies as employers seek to support workforce health, maintain productivity, and protect their bottom line from the UK’s ongoing workforce sickness crisis.”
