During the financial year 2024/25, the busiest hospital provider in England was the ************************************************ with over *** thousand admissions. This trust encompasses four hospitals in the Birmingham area, one of the largest urban areas in England. The second-busiest trust this year was the ******************************************, with approximately *** thousand admissions. Accident and emergency admissionsIn the second quarter of 2024/25, there were around *** million accident and emergency (A&E) attendees in England (including at A&E departments not in hospitals). After the drop in A&E attendances during the COVID-pandemic, numbers have risen again to previous levels, with a trend towards an increasing number of individuals seeking emergency care. Around ****percent of A&E attendees in England in 2024/5 were first diagnosed with a lower respiratory infection. Furthermore, over**** percent were found to have ‘no abnormality detected’ which could be detrimental to a service that is already stretched. Waiting too longOver the last few years in the A&E department, the NHS has been falling behind the target that ** percent of patients should be seen within **** hours of arrival. The last time this target was reached was back in July 2015. Not just the A&E department, but other services also require lengthy waits. It is no wonder that the levels of satisfaction with the way the NHS runs is at an all-time low.

In 2023, there were an estimated 1,850 hospitals in the United Kingdom. The number of hospitals in the UK had been declining prior to 2015, standing at 1,568 in 2014, before slightly rising again in the subsequent years. Healthcare indicators Expenditure on health in the UK amounted to 10.9 percent of the GDP in 2023. This proportion has been increasing since 2000, with 2020 and 2021 being outliers. The pressure on general practices has been increasing in the UK in the last ten years. In 2016, there were 7.8 thousand patients to each GP practice on average in the NHS England. By 2023 it came to over 10.2 thousand patients to a practice. Opinion of healthcare in the country The quality of British healthcare is decreasing. In a survey of 12 European countries, only 50 percent of British respondents rated the quality of their accessible healthcare as good/very good, while nearly 20 percent regarded it as poor/very poor. This was the fifth place among countries surveyed, down from its top spot in 2018, when 73 percent of the public gave good ratings. Similarly, only 51 percent of Brits surveyed trusted that they received the best treatment offered, compared to 19 percent who did not.

London was the city in the United Kingdom with the highest costs for constructing a general hospital in 2024. Meanwhile, among cities included in this selection, Leeds was the cheapest one to build that kind of structure. The expenses of such a construction in London were over *** British pounds higher than in Glasgow. The capital of the UK is the most expensive area for public building construction. Hospital bed numbers still in decline The number of hospital beds in the UK has been declining since 2000. Between 2000 and 2020, figures decreased from ******* to ******* number of beds. The reduction in hospital beds is, among other reasons, attributed to technical improvements in surgery rooms, patients with mental health problems being treated in different settings, and most importantly, cuts to NHS funding. However, the number of beds increased slightly again in 2021 and 2022. Increased healthcare spend Despite past funding cuts and declining availability of hospital beds, healthcare spending has significantly increased in the past twenty years. In 2022, expenditure reached a peak of nearly *** billion British pounds, whereas in 2000, this figure amounted to ** billion British pounds. The value of healthcare expenditure as a share of GDP also increased significantly in the past years.

Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) is a data warehouse containing records of all patients admitted to NHS hospitals in England. It contains details of every hospital stay in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. The Kennedy report recommended that HES should be "supported as a major national resource for the monitoring of a range of healthcare outcomes". Note: (04/02/13) An update to the Hospital Episode Statistics: Admitted Patient Care 2011-12 Summary Report has been published. Chart 3 has been updated to include 2011-12 data. Note: (28/01/13) An update to the Hospital Episode Statistics: Admitted Patient Care 2011-12 Summary Report has been published. This updates and corrects the 2011-12 figure for bariatric surgery for obesity to include new OPCS 4.6 procedure codes that were introduced in April 2011

Snapshot img

Hospital Beds Market Size 2025-2029

The hospital beds market size is forecast to increase by USD 2.69 billion, at a CAGR of 9.9% between 2024 and 2029.

The market is experiencing significant growth due to the rising number of medical emergencies and the increase in infectious diseases. The global health crisis has highlighted the importance of having an adequate supply of hospital beds to manage the influx of patients. However, the high cost of automated hospital beds poses a challenge for healthcare providers, as they seek to balance the need for advanced technology with budget constraints. Moreover, the growing prevalence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, necessitates long-term hospitalization, further increasing the demand for hospital beds. Additionally, the aging population and their subsequent healthcare needs are also contributing to market growth.
To capitalize on these opportunities, companies can focus on developing cost-effective solutions that offer advanced features, ensuring they cater to the evolving needs of healthcare providers while remaining competitive in the market. Navigating the challenges of cost and affordability will be crucial for market success, as providers seek to optimize their budgets while maintaining the highest level of patient care.

What will be the Size of the Hospital Beds Market during the forecast period?

Explore in-depth regional segment analysis with market size data - historical 2019-2023 and forecasts 2025-2029 - in the full report.
Request Free Sample

The hospital bed market continues to evolve, with dynamic shifts in market trends and applications across various healthcare sectors. Hospital bed frames, a fundamental component of patient care, undergo constant innovation to enhance ergonomics and support systems. Mattresses with advanced pressure distribution technology cater to the unique needs of bariatric patients, while ICU beds integrate intravenous pole systems and height adjustment mechanisms for intensive care. Bedside safety features, such as fall prevention systems and bedside rails, are increasingly integrated into hospital bed designs. Bedside monitors, lighting, and call systems further enhance patient safety and comfort. Hospital bed sustainability is a growing concern, with a focus on recycling and disposal methods, as well as the use of eco-friendly materials in bed covers and linens.

Anti-embolism stockings and durability are essential considerations in hospital bed design, ensuring patient safety and longevity. Hospital bed certification standards continue to evolve, driving innovation in bedside safety and maintenance. The market for hospital bed accessories, such as overbed tables and height adjustment mechanisms, is expanding to cater to diverse patient needs. Ergonomics and aesthetics are increasingly important in hospital bed design, with a focus on patient comfort and satisfaction. The integration of electric actuators and sterilization systems further enhances the functionality and efficiency of hospital beds. The ongoing development of pressure relief systems and anti-decubitus mattresses underscores the continuous pursuit of innovation in this dynamic market.

How is this Hospital Beds Industry segmented?

The hospital beds industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD million' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Product

  Manual beds
  Semi-automated beds
  Automated beds


Application

  Intensive care
  Acute care
  Home care


End-user

  Hospitals
  Home healthcare
  Elderly care facilities
  Ambulatory surgical centers


Geography

  North America

    US
    Canada


  Europe

    France
    Germany
    UK


  APAC

    China
    India
    Japan
    South Korea


  South America

    Brazil


  Rest of World (ROW)

.

By Product Insights

The manual beds segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

The market encompasses a range of products designed for healthcare settings, including manual and electric beds, bariatric beds, ICU beds, and recovery room beds. These beds prioritize ergonomics, offering mattress support systems, adjustable frames, and pressure distribution systems to ensure patient comfort and support. Hospital bed sustainability is a growing concern, leading to the development of eco-friendly materials and recycling programs for bed components. Bedside tables, rails, and lighting provide added functionality, while certifications ensure safety and compliance. Hospital bed linens and covers, along with anti-embolism stockings, contribute to patient care and hygiene. Fall prevention systems and repair services ensure patient safety and bed longevity.

Operating room tables and electric actuators facilitate efficien

The total number of admissions to private/independent hospitals or clinics in the United Kingdom has increased in 2024 for the ****** consecutive year to ******* episodes, despite the dip in numbers in 2020. Ireland saw the largest growth in terms of percentage increase, with an **** percent increase in 2024 compared to the previous year. England, of course, saw the largest absolute increase in number of admissions in the private sector.

Crude rate of cost of admissions for alcohol-related conditions (Broad definition) per head of population.

Rationale Alcohol misuse across the UK is a significant public health problem with major health, social, and economic consequences. This indicator aims to highlight the impact of alcohol-related conditions on inpatient hospital services in England. High costs of alcohol-related admissions are indicative of poor population health and high alcohol consumption. This indicator highlights the resource implications of alcohol-related conditions and supports the arguments for local health promotion initiatives. Publication of this indicator will allow national and local cost estimates to be updated and consistently monitored going forward. This measure accounts for just one aspect of the cost of alcohol to society, but there are others such as primary care, crime, ambulatory services, and specialist treatment services as well as broader costs such as unemployment and loss of productivity.

The Government has said that everyone has a role to play in reducing the harmful use of alcohol. This indicator is one of the key contributions by the Government (and the Department of Health and Social Care) to promote measurable, evidence-based prevention activities at a local level, and supports the national ambitions to reduce harm set out in the Government's Alcohol Strategy. This ambition is part of the monitoring arrangements for the Responsibility Deal Alcohol Network. Alcohol-related admissions can be reduced through local interventions to reduce alcohol misuse and harm.

References: (1) PHE (2020) The Burden of Disease in England compared with 22 peer countries https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-burden-of-disease-for-england-international-comparisons/the-burden-of-disease-in-england-compared-with-22-peer-countries-executive-summary

Definition of numerator The total cost (£s) of alcohol-related admissions (Broad). Admissions to hospital where the primary diagnosis is an alcohol-related condition, or a secondary diagnosis is an alcohol-related external cause.

More specifically, hospital admissions records are identified where the admission is a finished episode [epistat = 3]; the admission is an ordinary admission, day case or maternity [classpat = 1, 2 or 5]; it is an admission episode [epiorder = 1]; the sex of the patient is valid [sex = 1 or 2]; there is a valid age at start of episode [startage between 0 and 150 or between 7001 and 7007]; the region of residence is one of the English regions, no fixed abode or unknown [resgor <= K or U or Y]; the episode end date [epiend] falls within the financial year, and an alcohol-attributable ICD10 code appears in the primary diagnosis field [diag_01] or an alcohol-related external cause code appears in any diagnosis field [diag_nn].

For each episode identified, an alcohol-attributable fraction is applied to the primary diagnosis field or an alcohol-attributable external cause code appears in one of the secondary codes based on the diagnostic codes, age group, and sex of the patient. Where there is more than one alcohol-related ICD10 code among the 20 possible diagnostic codes, the code with the largest alcohol-attributable fraction is selected; in the event of there being two or more codes with the same alcohol-attributable fraction within the same episode, the one from the lowest diagnostic position is selected. For a detailed list of all alcohol-attributable diseases, including ICD 10 codes and relative risks, see ‘Alcohol-attributable fractions for England: an update’ (2). Alcohol-related hospital admission episodes were extracted from HES according to the Broad definition and admissions flagged as either elective or non-elective based on the admission method field.

The cost of each admission episode was calculated using the National Cost Collection (published by NHS England) main schedule dataset for the corresponding financial year applied to elective and non-elective admission episodes. The healthcare resource group (HRG) was identified using the HES field SUSHRG [SUS Generated HRG], which is the SUS PbR derived HRG code at episode level. Healthcare Resource Groups (HRGs) are standard groupings of clinically similar treatments which use common levels of healthcare resource. The elective admissions were assigned an average of the elective and day-case costs. The non-electives were assigned an average of the non-elective long stay and non-elective short stay costs. Where the HRG was not available or did not match the National Reference Costs look-up table, an average elective or non-elective cost was imputed. This may result in the cost of these admissions being underestimated. For each record, the AAF was multiplied by the reference cost and the resulting values were aggregated by the required output geographies to provide numerators for the cost per capita indicator.

References: (2) PHE (2020) Alcohol-attributable fractions for England: an update https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alcohol-attributable-fractions-for-england-an-update

Definition of denominator Mid-year population estimates.

Caveats Not all alcohol-related conditions require inpatient services, so this indicator is only one measure of the alcohol-related health problems in each local area. However, inpatient admissions are easily monitored, and this indicator provides local authorities with a routine method of monitoring the health impacts of alcohol in their local populations.

The Healthcare Resource Group cost assigned to each hospital admission is for the initial admission episode only and doesn’t include costs related to alcohol in any subsequent episodes in the hospital spell. Where the HRG was not available or did not match the National Reference Costs look-up table, an average elective or non-elective cost was imputed. This may result in the cost of these admissions being underestimated. It must be noted that the numerator is based on the financial year and the denominator on calendar mid-year population estimates, e.g., 2019/20 admission rates are constructed from admission counts for the 2019/20 financial year and mid-year population estimates for the 2020 calendar year. Data for England includes records with geography 'No fixed abode'. Alcohol-attributable fractions were not available for children. Conditions where low levels of alcohol consumption are protective (have a negative alcohol-attributable fraction) are not included in the calculation of the indicator. This does not include attendance at Accident and Emergency departments. Hospital Episode Statistics overall is well completed. However, year-on-year variations exist due to poor completion from a proportion of trusts.

Analysis has revealed significant differences across the country in the coding of cancer patients in the Hospital Episode Statistics. In particular, in some areas, regular attenders at hospital for treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy are being incorrectly recorded as ordinary or day-case admissions. Since cancer admissions form part of the overarching alcohol-related admission national indicators, the inconsistent recording across the country for cancer patients has some implication for these headline measures.

Cancer admissions make up approximately a quarter of the total number of alcohol-related admissions. Analysis suggests that, although most Local Authorities would remain within the same RAG group compared with the England average if cancer admissions were removed, the ranking of Local Authorities within RAG groups would be altered. We are continuing to monitor the impact of this issue and to consider ways of improving the consistency between areas. The COVID-19 pandemic had a large impact on hospital activity with a reduction in admissions in 2020 to 2021. Because of this, NHS Digital has been unable to analyse coverage (measured as the difference between expected and actual records submitted by NHS Trusts) in the normal way. There may have been issues around coverage in some areas which were not identified as a result.

List of Top Institutions of British Journal of Hospital Medicine sorted by citations.

This is a publication on Accident and Emergency (A&E) activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS-commissioned activity in the independent sector. This annual publication covers the financial year ending March 2022. It contains final data and replaces the provisional data that are published each month. This is a joint publication between NHS Digital and NHS England. This collaboration enables data to be brought together from different sources enabling inclusion of a wider set of breakdowns and measures and a more complete picture to be presented. The data sources for this publication are the Emergency Care Data Set (ECDS) for2020-21 and 2021-22, HES A&E for activity prior to 2020-21 and the A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions Monthly Situation Reports (MSitAE). This is the second year this report has been produced using ECDS in its submitted format, replacing the use of Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). Further information is available in the Data Quality Statement. The ECDS data set contains several new and additional reporting fields not previously available in HES A&E enabling new insights to be identified from data. Reported information based on these new splits and metrics presented within the report are presented as Experimental Statistics and should be used with caution. Experimental statistics are new official statistics undergoing evaluation. They are published in order to involve users and stakeholders in their development and as a means to build in quality at an early stage. More information about experimental statistics can be found on the UK Statistics Authority website. This publication releases some high level analyses of both ECDS/HES and MSitAE data relating to A&E attendances in NHS hospitals, minor injury units and walk-in centres. It includes analysis by patient demographics, time spent in A&E, distributions by time of arrival and day of week, arriving by ambulance, performance times, waits for admission and re-attendances to A&E within 7 days. The following additional analyses are also included in this report: • Comparison of 4 hour and 12 hour waits between the four home nations, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales • A&E attendances by Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) • A&E attendances by ethnicity • Weekly variation in attendance activity during the pandemic, by department type

This statistic displays the most important factors that contributed to increased workload for doctors and nurses in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2017. Staff shortages were the most important factor that the respondents determined for their increased workload.

According to Cognitive Market Research, the global Modular Hospital market size was USD 6512.2 million in 2024. It will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.30% from 2024 to 2031.

North America held the major market share, more than 40% of the global revenue, with a market size of USD 2604.88 million in 2024. The market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5% from 2024 to 2031.
Europe accounted for a share of over 30% of the global market size of USD 1953.66 million.
Asia Pacific held a market share of around 23% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 1497.81 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% from 2024 to 2031.
Latin America's market will have more than 5% of the global revenue with a market size of USD 325.61 million in 2024 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7% from 2024 to 2031.
The Middle East and Africa held the major market share of around 2% of the global revenue, with a market size of USD 130.24 million in 2024. The market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.0% from 2024 to 2031.
Steel held the highest Modular Hospital market revenue share in 2024.

Key Drivers of Modular Hospital Market

Expanding Healthcare to Provide More Facilities to Provide Viable Market Output

The Modular Hospital market is experiencing significant growth due to the expansion of healthcare to provide more facilities. As populations increase and medical needs evolve, there's a pressing demand for more healthcare facilities. Modular hospitals offer a flexible and rapid solution, enabling the quick establishment of fully functional medical centers. These facilities can be deployed in remote or underserved areas where traditional construction may be challenging. Moreover, modular hospitals provide scalability, allowing for easy expansion or reconfiguration as healthcare needs evolve. With their cost-effectiveness, speed of deployment, and adaptability, modular hospitals are becoming integral to healthcare systems striving to provide comprehensive medical services to a broader population base.

For instance, in September 2020, the UK National Health Service included Portakabin in the NHS Shared Business Services procurement framework. Under this inclusion, the company has provided isolation units for Hywel DDA University Health Board in Wales and an additional 30-bed modern ward built (in just 8 weeks) to treat coronavirus-affected patients.

(Source: https://www.portakabin.com/gb-en/news-and-events/news/healthcare-experts/)

Various Strategies Adopted by Key Players to Propel Market Growth

The Modular Hospital market is experiencing growth due to the various strategies chosen by key players. These include strategic partnerships and collaborations to leverage each other's expertise and resources, technological advancements to enhance modular hospital designs and functionalities, geographical expansions to enter into new markets and customer bases, and investments in research and development to improve product offerings continually. Additionally, customization and flexibility in modular hospital solutions are being prioritized to meet the unique needs of different healthcare facilities and settings, thereby increasing their adoption and market penetration. Overall, these strategies aim to strengthen market presence, increase competitiveness, and cater to evolving healthcare demands efficiently.

For instance, in January 2020, The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, U.K., awarded a project to Portakabin Ltd to build an off-site healthcare suite for patients. It is named 'The Aylsham Suite' and has space for nearly 28 patients. It also includes areas for relaxation, therapies, and treatments.

(Source: https://www.portakabin.com/gb-en/news-and-events/news/alysham-suite/)

Restraint Factors of Modular Hospital Market

Limited Customization to Restrict Market Growth

The Modular Hospital market faces a challenge due to limited customization. While modular hospitals offer pre-designed and pre-fabricated components that can be quickly assembled, there may be limitations in terms of tailoring the design to specific needs or preferences. This lack of customization could pose challenges for healthcare providers who require specialized facilities or layouts to meet unique operation...

Absolute gap in hospital admission ratio for self-harm between highest and lowest York ward ( 5 year aggregated)

On January 12, 2021, over 4.5 thousand individuals in the UK were admitted to hospital with coronavirus (COVID-19), the highest single amount since the start of the pandemic. The daily hospital cases started to rise significantly at the end of 2020 and into January 2021, however since then the number of hospitalizations fell dramatically as the UK managed to vaccinate millions against COVID-19. Overall, since the pandemic started around 994 thousand people in the UK have been hospitalized with the virus.

The total number of cases in the UK can be found here. For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

List of Top Schools of British Journal of Hospital Medicine (London, England: 2005) sorted by citations.

List of Top Authors of British Journal of Hospital Medicine (London, England: 2005) sorted by articles.

ObjectiveLong-term follow-up of population-based prospective studies is often achieved through linkages to coded regional or national health care data. Our knowledge of the accuracy of such data is incomplete. To inform methods for identifying stroke cases in UK Biobank (a prospective study of 503,000 UK adults recruited in middle-age), we systematically evaluated the accuracy of these data for stroke and its main pathological types (ischaemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, subarachnoid haemorrhage), determining the optimum codes for case identification.MethodsWe sought studies published from 1990-November 2013, which compared coded data from death certificates, hospital admissions or primary care with a reference standard for stroke or its pathological types. We extracted information on a range of study characteristics and assessed study quality with the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Studies tool (QUADAS-2). To assess accuracy, we extracted data on positive predictive values (PPV) and—where available—on sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive values (NPV).Results37 of 39 eligible studies assessed accuracy of International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-coded hospital or death certificate data. They varied widely in their settings, methods, reporting, quality, and in the choice and accuracy of codes. Although PPVs for stroke and its pathological types ranged from 6–97%, appropriately selected, stroke-specific codes (rather than broad cerebrovascular codes) consistently produced PPVs >70%, and in several studies >90%. The few studies with data on sensitivity, specificity and NPV showed higher sensitivity of hospital versus death certificate data for stroke, with specificity and NPV consistently >96%. Few studies assessed either primary care data or combinations of data sources.ConclusionsParticular stroke-specific codes can yield high PPVs (>90%) for stroke/stroke types. Inclusion of primary care data and combining data sources should improve accuracy in large epidemiological studies, but there is limited published information about these strategies.

GP Practices - are UK wide and we cover the Practice Manager, the Senior GP and Senior Nurses. In every practice one of these is nominated as the main contact (our 'Chief Officer' category), to allow you to reach one person per practice if required. This will normally be the Practice Manager and is the contact for which we list an email address.

The National Health Service is the largest employer in the UK but is not a single homogenous organisation. Following devolution and major re-organisations in the past few years, the ways in which it is organised in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are continuing to diverge.

Our database covers senior and mid-level posts across all functions and areas of the NHS. This includes both the Management and Medical/Clinical sides.

England - the NHS has undergone considerable re-organisation since 2011 with Strategic Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts being replaced by a new structure of healthcare provision. The vast majority of services are now provided or commissioned at a local level via groups of GP Surgeries, known as Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG's), or at a secondary care level via Hospital Trusts. Public Health services are now provided by Local Authorities who also work with CCG's via Health and Wellbeing Boards to commission services jointly. There are also a number of new 'Community Healthcare' providers, in the form of Health and Care Trusts (NHS organisations) and Community Interest Companies (Social Enterprises). These organisations provide a range of community, mental health, primary care and nursing functions and sit alongside Local Authorities, CCG's and Secondary Care providers in many areas. These, along with some Secondary Care Acute Trusts which inherited them following the dissolution of PCT's run Community Hospitals, Clinics, Walk in Centres and some Dental services.

Scotland - has a simplified structure with Scottish Health Boards having control of all operational responsibilities within their geographical area. The Community Health Partnerships provide a range of community health services and they work closely with primary health care professionals as well as hospitals and local councils.

Wales - has established Local Health Boards and with the exception of one remaining NHS Trust, they deal with all Primary and Secondary Healthcare services.

Northern Ireland - also has single organisations - Health & Social Care Trusts, which along with several other national bodies, deal with co-ordinating and providing all the regions Healthcare services.

Healthcare spending in the United Kingdom stood at 317 billion British pounds in 2024. When looking at real healthcare expenditure*, spending already exceeded this amount in 2021, where it reached 324 billion British pounds in 2024 prices. Health expenditure in the UK compared to Europe In 2024, the UK spent almost 11 percent of its GDP on healthcare. In comparison to other European countries, this ranked the UK fifth in terms of health expenditure. At the top of the list was Switzerland, which spent 12 percent of its GDP on healthcare that year.  Performance of the NHS in the UK Waiting times have been getting worse in the A&E department over the years. The NHS has been falling behind the target that 95 percent of patients should be seen within four hours of arrival. As a result, the primary reasons for dissatisfaction with the NHS among the public are the length of time required to get a GP or hospital appointment and the lack of staff.

Published: 28 November 2017 - This is a report on outpatient activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS-commissioned activity in the independent sector. This annual publication covers the financial year ending March 2017. It contains final data and replaces the provisional data that are published each month. The data are taken from the Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) data warehouse. HES contains records of all admissions, appointments and attendances for patients admitted to NHS hospitals in England. This publication includes analysis of more than 100 million outpatient appointments recorded in HES data during the 12 month period. A number of breakdowns are provided including by patient's age, gender, whether the appointment was attended or not and by provider. Note that this report counts the number of outpatient appointments rather than the number of patients. The purpose of this publication is to inform and support strategic and policy-led processes for the benefit of patient care. This document will also be of interest to researchers, journalists and members of the public interested in NHS hospital activity in England.

Healthcare spending in the United Kingdom (UK) as a share of the gross domestic product (GDP) has increased since 1990, when it was 5.1 percent. By 2024, healthcare expenditure in the UK amounted to 11.1 percent of the GDP. Health expenditure in the UK compared to Europe  In comparison to other European countries in 2023, the UK ranked fifth highest in terms of healthcare spending as a share of the GDP. Top of the list was Germany, which spent 12.3 percent of its GDP on healthcare in this year. This was followed by Austria and Switzerland, which spent 11.8 percent and 11.7 percent on health, respectively. Performance of the NHS in the UK Waiting times have been getting worse in the A&E department over the years. The NHS has been falling behind the target that 95 percent of patients should be seen within four hours of arrival. As a result, the primary reasons for dissatisfaction with the NHS among the public are the length of time required to get a GP or hospital appointment and the lack of staff.