More Brits seeking treatment abroad

17-Apr-2007

More Britons are travelling overseas for medical treatment than ever before, new research has revealed.

According to market analysts Mintel, British people now spend around £60 million every year on treatment abroad, including cosmetic surgery, operations and post-surgical relaxation.

Originally, the trend was fuelled by the lower prices for cosmetic surgery overseas, but people are now viewing medical tourism as a more pleasant option than surgery at home, as well as a chance to escape serious hospital super-bugs, which are becoming more common in the UK.

Richard Cope, senior travel analyst at Mintel, confirmed that demand for medical tourism is on the increase.

"This sector is a thriving industry as a growing number of well-off baby boomers take their health needs into their own hands and pursue the elixir of eternal youth," he remarked.

Mintel predicts that the market for medical tourism will increase by up to 150 per cent by 2011, with destinations such as India and Poland proving popular among the British.