Government figures show that the numbers leaving the UK waiting lists to seek treatment abroad have almost tripled in the last two years.

Experts have highlighted the following issues that have contributed to the surge.

• waiting times for hip operations
• waiting times for knee operations
• waiting times for cataract operations
• cutbacks to fertility treatment

It’s no secret that NHS waiting times are the longest they have been for a decade but we thought it would be interesting to track the relevant figures.

• 2014: 34,000 people waited for more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment
• 2014: 48,000 people sought treatment abroad

• 2017: 409,000 people are waiting for more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment
• 2016: 144,000 people sought treatment abroad

One amazing statistic from the Office for National Statistics highlights a 198% rise upon 2014 figures for trips from the UK to seek medical treatment overseas.

Joyce Robins, from Patient Concern, said: “It is a desperately sad state of affairs that people who have paid into the NHS all their lives are finding it is not there for them when they need it.

“These are essential operations, but thousands of people are being left in pain and misery – for every person who goes abroad there will be many more left suffering,” she said.

Ugur Samut, chief executive officer from medical travel website Medigo, said: “What we are finding is increasing numbers of patients from the UK wanting to avoid the waiting times on the NHS. We are especially finding that in orthopaedics, that is one of the biggest areas.”

Countries which saw the largest numbers of UK visitors for medical treatment between 2015 and 2016

1. Spain 1,112 to 10,741: 866%
2. Greece 574 to 3,885: 577%
3. Switzerland 736 to 4,165: 466%
4. Portugal 354 to 1,461: 312%
5. India 1,132 to 3,867: 242%
6. Romania 5,240 to 14,588: 178%
7. Bulgaria 1,016 to 2,760 -172%
8. Hungary 7,068 to 15,884: 125%
9. Latvia 2,285 to 5,117: 124%
10. France 3,992 to 6,389: 60%

Total departures from the UK for medical treatment

• 2014: 48,190
• 2015: 100,338
• 2016: 143,996