Dr Ian Gargan, PHIN’s Chief Executive, explains to Editor Sarah Cartledge how data is the key for patient choice and safety
Private healthcare has been around in the UK for hundreds of years, much longer than the National Health Service (NHS) which was founded in 1948. However, given the nature of private enterprise, the type of providers and the work they do has been varied. It has not always been possible to say exactly what is being done, by who, and at what cost.
This scenario was the backdrop for the development of the Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order (2014) from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which wanted to ensure that there was increased transparency in the sector so patients could have a better understanding of their options, and to foster competition so providers could offer the best services possible.
Taking action
The Order set out a range of remedies to enact these aims, including appointing the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) as the ‘Information Organisation’ tasked with collecting data from the hospitals and consultants providing private healthcare across the UK and publishing it for patients.
With investment and input from healthcare providers operating in the UK and the support of other stakeholders – including consultant groups and private medical insurers – PHIN has been building and enhancing its data collection architecture, processing and analytics skills, expertise and experience.
This knowledge base enables PHIN to publish a whole series of healthcare measures that shine a light on the private healthcare sector, increasing patient choice, confidence and safety such as:
• Volume and length of stay
• Patient feedback
• Hospital-reported adverse events
• Infections
• Health improvement
• Never events
• Consultant references
• Consultant self-pay fees
PHIN also produces more in-depth reports including at procedure and location level and has recently published reports on robotic-assisted surgery and the distance patients travel for diagnosis and treatment.
PHIN’s emphasis on patient safety means that it now has access to public sector elective data, and it is currently applying for further access to provide a clearer picture of whole practice data. This move is in line with the recommendations of the review into the actions of disgraced surgeon Ian Patterson, who was jailed for 20 years in 2017 for carrying out unapproved mastectomies.
“The importance of transparency in healthcare cannot be overestimated. Patients have a right to make informed choices and to trust that the people diagnosing and treating them will do so in a safe manner.”
— Dr Ian Gargan, PHIN Chief Executive
“Collecting and publishing data from the 650+ hospitals and more than 12,000 interventionalist consultants is no easy task. There were strong foundations in place when I took on this role in 2022, but also a need to accelerate our work ahead of the CMA’s deadline for full implementation of the Order by June 2026.”
Reaching a solution
In the summer of 2022 PHIN had published a sector-approved implementation strategy for the Order, followed by an Evidence-based Assessment in early 2023 that set out how it would deliver the strategy.
The final stage of the planning process was to introduce three progress milestones.
Bronze (achieved October 2024)
This included:
Delivering all the Article 21 and 22 requirements set out in the Order, such as:
Infection rates (hospital portal)
Mortality rates (hospital portal)
Developing a new consultant website portal featuring:
Consultant Data Overview Report
Ability to self-declare registry memberships and audit participation
Silver (achieved September 2025)
This stage included:
• Further developing infrastructure to collect and publish data
• Implementation of Anaesthetic Fees on the PHIN website
• Deep Dive Data Report for hospitals
• PROMs Site Participation Report
• Patient Insights Explorer to support patient decision-making
Compliance achievements:
• 96% of consultants publishing self-pay consultation fees (target: 90%)
• 82% of private hospitals submitting required data (target: 80%)
• 97% of all private hospital procedures now captured
Gold (due June 2026)
Success will include:
• Mechanism for consultant physicians to submit consultation fees publicly
• Enhanced Consultant Overview Report including whole-practice data
• Benchmarking reports comparing hospitals to national and peer data
• 100% compliance across consultants and hospitals
Looking ahead
“Our purpose is to increase transparency in healthcare so that providers can improve their services, and we can fulfil our vision that ‘Everyone can make confident choices about their healthcare to get the best outcomes’,” says Ian.
“The CMA’s 2026 deadline is by no means the end of PHIN’s work — in fact it is just the beginning. We will continue to collect and publish the required data, and we are also working on our strategy for post-2026 to see how PHIN can best be of use to the sector and patients.”
“We’re government-backed, independent and unbiased. Since we formed in 2012, providers have invested significantly in building our capabilities. We now occupy a unique position in the world’s healthcare sector, with data architecture envied across the globe. We’re here for patients and exciting times are ahead.”
CONTACT INFORMATION
www.phin.org.uk/