The NHS is spending as much as £20,000 on individual cases to treat British patients suffering from serious complications after undergoing surgery abroad, new research has revealed.
The High Cost of Medical Tourism Complications
Hospitals across the UK are increasingly having to ‘pick up the pieces’ when procedures go wrong for Britons travelling overseas for cut-price operations. A study published in the BMJ Open journal indicates that a staggering 53% of ‘medical tourists’ experience complications, ranging from severe infections and organ failure to wounds that refuse to heal.
Researchers from Health Technology Wales, led by Dr Clare England, analysed 37 previous studies covering 655 NHS patients treated between 2011 and 2024. Their review found the cost to the health service for each case ranged from £1,058 to £19,549. Patients often require intensive care stays, further corrective surgery, and extensive antibiotic treatments to recover from botched operations they paid for privately in another country.
Cosmetic and Weight Loss Surgery Lead the Risks
The vast majority of complications stemmed from two types of procedures. Of the cases reviewed, 385 were related to weight loss surgery and 265 followed cosmetic operations, such as breast enlargements. Patients could spend lengthy periods in UK hospitals, with an average stay of 45 days for weight loss surgery complications and 49 days for issues arising from cosmetic procedures.
Professor Vivien Lees, Vice-President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, warned: “Too often people are drawn in by cut-price deals and glossy online marketing, only to return with serious, sometimes life-changing complications.” She added that when things go wrong, the NHS is left to intervene, often in emergency situations without full knowledge of the original surgery, putting patients at further risk and straining already overstretched services.
The Scale and Drivers of the Trend
While the exact number is unknown, the research paper suggests at least 348,000 Britons sought medical treatment abroad in 2022 alone. The typical ‘health tourist’ is female (90%), with an average age of 38, though patients have ranged from 14 to 69 years old. Turkey is the most popular destination, accounting for 61% of all such trips, which also include tummy tucks, hip or knee replacements, and dental work.
Experts cite cheap air fares, targeted online advertising by foreign clinics, and difficulties accessing certain NHS treatments as key drivers behind the two-decade surge in medical tourism. Andrew Rankin, a trustee of the Joint Council of Cosmetic Practitioners, noted that demand is “largely social media driven,” creating body image concerns that misleading advertisements then exploit.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson stated: “Too many people are being lured overseas for cheap cosmetic procedures, only to come home with life-changing complications.” In response, the department launched a safety campaign last year in partnership with TikTok to warn potential medical tourists of the significant risks involved.
