Record rise in Britons traveling abroad for medical treatment, data shows

More than half a million Britons traveled abroad for medical treatment last year, a 50% rise since 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics. A total of 523,000 people sought treatment outside the United Kingdom in the 12 months to the latest year measured, driven by cut-price procedures and long NHS waiting lists.

Turkey accounted for more than 40% of outbound patients, reinforcing its status as a hub for inexpensive cosmetic surgery. Other popular destinations included Poland, Romania and Portugal, while India was the only country outside Europe in the top ten, attracting about 22,000 British patients.

Among those seeking treatment abroad was 66-year-old Paul Seamons, who flew to Lithuania for a hip replacement after being diagnosed with osteoarthritis. He initially saw an NHS consultant who advised a total hip replacement would be needed and that he would be added to the waiting list. On a friend's recommendation, he booked surgery in Kaunas at Nordclinic and paid £8,500, around half the price quoted privately in the UK. "I initially saw an NHS consultant and he advised me that a total hip replacement was needed and that I would be added to the waiting list," the retiree from Norfolk said. "I have a very active lifestyle walking around three miles a day and cycling 300 miles a week, so I really didn't want to have to put that on hold indefinitely." The procedure, he said, went smoothly, and within weeks he was back on his bike.

Orthopaedic surgery is now at the top of the NHS waiting list, with 700,888 patients on hold for hip, knee and other joint operations — the highest figure in more than a decade. Hospitals across Europe report a surge in British patients seeking to escape delays at home and drawn by fees often 50% lower than private clinics in the UK.

"This significant and steep increase in patient numbers is an indication of the strain being felt by the NHS," said Vilius Sketrys, commercial director at Nordclinic. "The first thing prospective patients tell us is that they are driven abroad because of the waiting lists. They don't want to put their lives on hold and spend several years in pain and discomfort before they are able to resume normal life."

However, experts warn that traveling overseas for medical treatment can put patients at serious risk. Dr. Mo Akhavani, consultant surgeon and co-founder of The Plastic Surgery Group, said: "One of the main dangers of having major surgery abroad is getting on a flight afterwards. It is recommended that you don't fly for six weeks due to the increased risk of blood clots. But because staying abroad for that period is so costly, most patients fly home much sooner – which means they are gambling with their lives."

"The issue is that if you go abroad and something goes wrong, you may struggle to find a clinician here willing to correct it," he added. "It's not that all overseas surgeons are bad—there are excellent doctors—but what is often missing with fly-in, fly-out procedures is the vital pre- and post-operative care."

The surge in health tourism comes as the NHS contends with long waits for routine surgeries and rising private treatment costs, prompting some patients to seek care abroad where prices can be significantly lower. While analysts note that some patients report positive experiences, clinicians caution that medical travel carries inherent risks and can complicate care if complications arise after return home.