Surgeons respond to BMJ findings on NHS costs from overseas surgery complications

Responding to research published by BMJ Open which revealed that the ‘postoperative complications of medical tourism may cost NHS up to £20,000 per patient’, Professor Vivien Lees, Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) said:

“The findings of this research highlight the real cost of medical tourism for both patients and the NHS, and the critical need for reliable national data on how many people this affects. Too often people are drawn in by cut-price deals and glossy online marketing, only to return with serious, sometimes life-changing complications.

“When things go wrong, the NHS is left to pick up the pieces, often in emergencies and without full information about what surgery was done or by whom. That puts patients at risk and adds avoidable pressure to already stretched services. It should not be the role of the NHS to routinely mop up the mistakes of private providers overseas, and we would encourage the government to continue bringing pressure to bear on foreign providers and other governments including to cover the costs of complications that happen in their countries.

“While many overseas providers offer high-quality care, gaps in regulation, aftercare and accountability make this a significant patient-safety issue. Better public information, including building on the UK government’s partnership with TikTok, and improved data collection are essential to protect patients and the NHS.”

ENDS

Notes to editors: 

1. The BMJ research: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-109050

2. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research, and championing the best outcomes for patients.

3. For more information, please contact the press office: telephone: 020 7869 6053/6054/6060; email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.