23,000 PATIENTS GO PRIVATE FOR HIP AND KNEE OPTATIONS
by Lucy Ashton
Anas Sarwar has pledged to end the SNP’s “creeping privatisation” of Scotland’s NHS, as new figures show soaring reliance on private healthcare for hip and knee replacements.
Between 2019 and 2025, 23,212 hip and knee replacements took place in the private sector.
In 2024 alone, 5,220 private hip and knee replacements took place in Scotland – more than triple the number in 2019.
Overall, private healthcare use in Scotland has soared by 46 per cent between 2019 and 2024.
Scottish Labour has branded these figures “damning” and said they show a two-tier healthcare system is taking hold in Scotland.
Action to tackle the waiting list emergency, forcing record numbers of Scots to go private, will be a day one priority for a Scottish Labour government.
The party has pledged to:
- Break down barriers between health boards, so that any patient who has waited too long, and who is willing to travel elsewhere in Scotland or the UK, can be offered appointments and treatment in health boards with space to treat them.
- Reform NHS funding so that funding follows the patient. Health boards will be incentivised to maximise their capacity and improve their productivity as they will only be paid for the work they carry out.
- Use all available capacity, wherever it is, even if that means purchasing capacity from the independent sector on a short-term basis. Our priority will be to prevent patients from having to pay out of pocket for treatment they should get on the NHS.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, right, said: “The SNP’s creeping privatisation of Scotland’s NHS has led to record numbers of Scots being forced to spend their savings just to get the healthcare they need.
“While thousands are coughing up eyewatering sums for private care, many more have no choice but to wait on endless lists – and all of them are being let down.
“These damning figures show the SNP cannot be trusted with our NHS.
“With the founding principles of our NHS under threat, the stakes in this election could not be higher.
“A Scottish Labour government will end the SNP’s two-tier healthcare system and make our NHS fit for the future.
“We will declare a waiting list emergency, cut bureaucracy so more resources reach frontline services, and use capacity wherever it exists so patients don’t get stuck in limbo because of red tape.
“The only way to protect our NHS and deliver a better future for Scotland is by voting for Scottish Labour on May 7.”
Hip and knee replacements paid privately, 2019–2025*:
|
|
2019 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025* |
Total |
% change 2019 – 2024 |
|
Hip arthroplasty |
1,001 |
2,755 |
2,824 |
2,860 |
2,992 |
1,950 |
14,382 |
199% |
|
Knee arthroplasty |
654 |
1,573 |
1,493 |
2,057 |
2,228 |
825 |
8,830 |
241% |
|
Total |
1,655 |
4,328 |
4,317 |
4,917 |
5,220 |
2,775 |
23,212 |
215% |
*Data for 2019 to 2024 relates to only Non-NHS procedures carried out in the independent Sector, which are taken from the Scottish Arthroplasty Project (figures for 2020 are not available). The data for 2025 (January to September) is taken from PHIN and may differ to Scottish Arthroplasty Project figures once published.
Source: Scottish Arthroplasty Project – 5 August 2025; PHIN Private healthcare market update: March 2026 Scotland
Scotland’s private healthcare activity, 2019–25:
|
Year |
Private admissions (insured and self-pay) |
|
2019 |
35,000 |
|
2020 |
22,000 |
|
2021 |
37,000 |
|
2022 |
42,000 |
|
2023 |
46,000 |
|
2024 |
51,000 |
|
2025* |
40,000 |
* The data for 2025 is for January to September.
Source: PHIN Private market update: June 2024, Scotland; March 2026 private healthcare market update from PHIN