"There are several underlying issues at play, not least the lack of health literacy among the UK population."
- Dr Ian Gargan - PHIN
While private healthcare use is growing in the UK, many are unsure where to start, PHIN reveals.
The Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) has revealed that there were 953,000 reported private hospital admissions in 2025, highlighting an increase over the last five years. In addition, its new report found that 77% of the UK public are open to using private healthcare.
A new report from the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) has revealed that 77% of the UK public are open to private healthcare, but only 26% feel ‘very confident’ organising and using it.
There were 953,000 reported private hospital admissions in 2025, highlighting an increase in the proportion of the population using private healthcare over the last five years.
However, the report, Creating confidence: What do patients need from private healthcare information?, found that while 84% would research private healthcare before use, 28% wouldn’t know where to begin.
The report says that this problem is amplified by a lack of health literacy, after NHS England found that 43% of adults cannot understand written health information. Nevertheless, 82% of people surveyed for PHIN's report said they would consider using the information provided by the network once its role was explained.
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"This matters because patients make choices throughout their healthcare journey, often when they already feel unwell or are uncertain and under pressure to find the funds, because of time urgency or a lack of knowledge of their options," Dr Ian Gargan, chief executive, PHIN, said.
"They may also be weighing up the cost of treatment against that of not being able to return to work quickly; a decision which can impact the wider economy and not just their own personal circumstances.
"There are several underlying issues at play, not least the lack of health literacy among the UK population," he continued.
