My Medical Gateway Blog

Nearly 96,000 cancer patients turned to UK private hospitals last year, a record surge as NHS waiting lists hit crisis point. Chemotherapy admissions alone jumped by nine per cent, making cancer one of the leading reasons patients are going private. But behind the headline lies a hard truth: UK private hospitals are costly, rely on the same overstretched NHS consultants, and offer poor value. For many patients, the smarter choice may lie overseas.

A striking new report has revealed that a record 95,885 cancer patients were admitted to private hospitals in the UK last year. That figure, published by the Private Healthcare Information Network and reported by The Telegraph on 24 August, represents a 30 per cent rise since 2020 and marks the sharpest shift yet from an NHS system still buckling under the weight of backlogs.

The data show that cancer has become one of the most common reasons Britons now go private, with demand for chemotherapy rising by nine per cent in a single year – second only to cataract surgery. The rise reflects a wider trend: as of 2025, 8 million people in the UK now hold private medical insurance, up almost a million in just five years. For cancer care specifically, 70 per cent of admissions are funded through insurance, with employers increasingly offering it as part of benefits packages.

This is the context: an NHS waiting list of 7.37 million people, with only two-thirds of cancer patients starting treatment within the 62-day target window after an urgent referral. That target – 85 per cent – has not been met since 2015. For many, waiting simply isn’t an option.

The turn to private hospitals

Faced with delay, patients understandably seek alternatives. Last year, there were 72,920 admissions for chemotherapy in UK private hospitals, alongside tens of thousands of hip and knee replacements, hernia repairs and cataract surgeries. 

But there is a problem. UK private hospitals are not only expensive, they are also drawing on the same pool of consultants and surgeons who already work for the NHS. A consultant oncologist who treats NHS patients by day may see private patients in Harley Street in the evening – at ten times the cost. This shared workforce means that when demand surges in the UK private sector, it does not expand overall capacity, it simply diverts existing staff time.

For cancer patients, that diversion carries a high price tag. Even with insurance, policies often come with strict caps. For self-payers, chemotherapy can cost tens of thousands of pounds per cycle in a UK private hospital. It is a model that works for insurers and shareholders, but not necessarily for patients footing the bill.

MMG is building a future where British patients no longer face the impossible choice between waiting months on the NHS or paying exorbitant fees in the UK private sector. Our vision is to open access to world-class oncology centres across Europe—clinics that deliver cutting-edge chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgical oncology at a fraction of UK prices, without compromising quality or safety. Soon, MMG Platform Users will be able to access this care seamlessly through a structured medical travel pathway that ensures continuity before, during, and after treatment.

The bigger picture: NHS, private sector, and patients in the middle

The Government insists that it is investing in modern technology, diagnostic equipment and cancer screening programmes, pointing to record numbers of patients diagnosed or ruled out within four weeks. But even officials admit that “much more work needs to be done.” Opposition parties describe the fact that patients are forced to reach for their wallets as “unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, the Independent Healthcare Provider Network confirms what the numbers already show: there is a growing “openness” across society to using private healthcare. Half of millennials, according to its survey, plan to use it in the next year.

But this debate is usually framed in binary terms: NHS or UK private. That misses the reality that hundreds of thousands of Britons are already voting with their passports. In 2021, 234,000 people travelled abroad for medical treatment; in 2022, that number rose to 350,000; and in 2025, the figure is expected to reach 420,000. Cancer is an increasingly part of that story.

A better use of patient money

At MMG, we believe that British patients deserve more than a false choice between a broken NHS and an overpriced UK private sector. The numbers published this week underline the point: the demand for timely treatment is there, but the domestic options are limited and costly.

Medical travel offers a third way – timely access to care, international standards of safety, and significant cost savings. For cancer patients and their families, this can mean earlier treatment, lower stress and more resources left for recovery rather than sunk into inflated hospital bills.

The surge in UK private cancer admissions is a symptom of the NHS crisis. But it should also be a wake-up call: if patients are ready to pay for faster care, they deserve to know that their money can stretch further and achieve more when invested in high-quality overseas treatment.