Independent providers remove 1.5 million people from NHS waiting list

New figures show that independent healthcare providers are making a record contribution to cutting the NHS backlog, with the sector removing more than 1.5 million people from the NHS waiting list from January to November 2024.

The latest quarterly analysis from the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN) has found that the independent health sector delivered almost half a million (460,000) episodes of care a month in 2024 for NHS patients, including much needed appointments, scans, tests and surgical procedures, free at the point of use to patients. This equates to an increase of more than 50% over the last four years. All activity is paid at NHS prices.

Overall, independent providers are consistently delivering 10% of all NHS elective care, with the sector carrying out almost 1 in 5 NHS operations overall in the past 12 months – 18,000 every week.

The sector is playing a particularly key role in the delivery of NHS orthopaedics and ophthalmology care. The latest NHS data shows in November 2024 that over 22% of all NHS trauma and orthopaedics activity and over 21% of all NHS ophthalmology activity were delivered by independent providers – totalling 36,000 patients each month treated in the sector in each specialty.

The data also shows NHS patients in the independent are treated more quickly than the average for the health service – waiting just over 11 weeks compared with an average of 18 weeks for those seen by NHS providers.

Earlier this month the Government published a new Partnership Agreement alongside the independent sector, making a clear statement that independent providers are a critical part of the NHS’ long-term recovery and renewal, with a commitment to make full use of existing capacity in the sector. This will mean local NHS areas must ensure that patients are offered proper choice of providers, as well as supporting the sector to invest in, and deliver, an even wider choice of high quality services to NHS patients to bring waiting times down – all delivered free at the point of use.

All NHS planned care services delivered by the independent sector are paid at NHS prices, with 92% of independent acute hospitals rated good or outstanding by the CQC.

David Hare, Chief Executive of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN), said:

“This latest data shows the independent sector’s increasingly pivotal role in delivering frontline NHS care – treating and removing more than 1.5 million patients from the waiting list in 2024 and helping the Government to meet their key “milestone” to ensure 92% of patients are treated within 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament.

“Given NHS waiting lists are still at record levels, the sector is committed to building on this already impressive achievement and will be working with the Government to ensure the principles contained in the recent NHS and independent sector partnership are fully embedded – enabling patients to have a greater choice over their care so they can get the treatment they need, when they need it.”