- Around 40,000 hip replacements performed at NHS sites in 2022
- By comparison, around 50,000 were completed in private clinics, figures show.
Most hip replacements are carried out in private hospitals rather than NHS hospitals, data suggests.
Figures from the National Joint Registry show that around 40,000 hip replacements were carried out at NHS sites in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2022, while around 50,000 were completed in private clinics.
However, the vast majority continued to be funded by the health service, with only 25,000 of the procedures paid for by patients themselves or through private insurance.
NHS England said it is harnessing the capacity of the independent sector to treat “as many patients as possible”.
But experts warned that using private hospitals is only a “short-term solution” and does not provide enough capacity to reduce the record 7.68 million backlog.
Figures from the National Joint Registry show that around 40,000 hip replacements were carried out at NHS sites (purple bars) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2022, while around 50,000 were completed in private clinics (blue bars, orange and green).
The National Joint Registry’s annual report is based on nearly 1.5 million hip replacements performed by more than 4,000 surgeons in nearly 500 units.
The National Joint Registry’s annual report is based on nearly 1.5 million hip replacements performed by more than 4,000 surgeons in nearly 500 units.
The register covers England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and Guernsey.
Its latest report found that NHS-funded operations in NHS facilities peaked in 2014.
The document says: “They remained at the same level until Covid, but have now fallen again to levels below those of 2007.”
‘Independent sector provision has increased enormously over this period, particularly in recent years of Covid recovery, and more hip replacements are now performed in the independent sector than in the NHS.
“Despite the cost of living crisis, the number of privately paid hip replacements has almost doubled since 2019.”
The story was first reported by the Health Services Journal.
Tim Mitchell, president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: “Waiting lists are at an all-time high and timely access to surgery is key to improving the nation’s health.”
‘While the NHS should continue to have the ability to use the independent sector to provide additional elective capacity, this is only a short-term solution and does not offer sufficient capacity to address the backlog.
‘The Government needs to continue investing in additional NHS surgical capacity.
‘This will enable the service to cope with any future pandemics, as well as the usual seasonal pressures, and achieve and maintain the necessary elective activity levels.
“NHS trusts must ensure that training opportunities continue to be provided to surgical students when operations move to the independent sector.”
He said establishing more surgery centers regionally was the key to reducing long waiting lists for operations “as they provide vital additional capacity, particularly in orthopaedics”.
Mitchell called for more centres, arguing they offer a “protected space” for operations to go ahead even when the NHS is under pressure.
A spokeswoman for NHS England said: “As this report shows, the majority of hip replacements are still funded by the NHS, but the health service is using all available capacity, including the independent sector, to treat as many patients as possible.
‘NHS use of the independent sector has increased by more than a third since 2021, from 65,000 appointments and procedures per week to more than 90,000 now, helping us reduce the number of people waiting more than 65 weeks for receive treatment by almost 60 percent. from its top.’
