Shocking Numbers Of Patients In Scotland Are Being Forced To Find The Cash For Cancer Treatment

14th September 2023

Commenting after FMQs Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said "Last year the then Health Secretary promised no one would be waiting more than 18 months for an NHS procedure by September 2023 - but the most recent figures show that there are still 17,200 people on NHS waiting lists who have already waited over 18 months for hospital procedures.

"This is yet another broken promise from a Health Secretary that has failed upwards - and as a result people are turning to private care.

"40% of all knee and hip operations being carried out in Scotland are now self-funded by patients.

“In the last financial year alone a total of 43,000 patients treated privately in Scotland - an 8% increase in one year.

“Most shockingly of all 1,745 rounds of chemotherapy were paid for privately by patients.

“Health care free at the point of need is a founding principle of our NHS – but under the SNP patients are being forced to find the cash to pay for life saving cancer treatment.

“In the middle of a cost of living crisis – when people are struggling to pay the bills, they shouldn't also have to worry about the costs of getting sick.

“Patients in pain and heartbroken families, trying to scrape together the cash, some even being forced to re-mortgage their homes, to pay for care they should be getting on the NHS.

“More and more Scots are being forced to pay the price for SNP incompetence and failure."

4,739 hip and knee replacements paid for privately
7,805 cataract surgeries paid for privately
1,980 colonoscopies
2,055 endoscopies
995 hernia repairs

Costs:
£15,000 for a hip or knee replacement
£3,000 for cataract surgery
£3,000 for a colonoscopy
£4,000 for a hernia repair

Average costs for private healthcare treatments: https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/glasgow/pricing

The First Minister committed to eradicate long waits in the NHS in July 2022 when he was Health Secretary: https://www.gov.scot/news/new-national-targets-to-tackle-long-waits-for-planned-care/

Most recent waiting times data showed that as of the end of June 2023, 17,201 patients on the waiting list of inpatient/daycase procedures had already waited over 18 months: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-stage-of-treatment/stage-of-treatment-waiting-times-inpatients-day-cases-and-new-outpatients-5-september-2023/

In 2022 there were 11,175 hip and knee operations carried out in Scotland. 4,635 of these took place in independent sector, 94.5% of which funded either by direct payments from patients or patients own medical insurance – equivalent to 4,380 privately funded operations or 40% of all hip and knee operations in Scotland in 2022.

https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/scottish-arthroplasty-project/scottish-arthroplasty-project-12-september-2023/