The NHS is spending up to £20,000 per patient treating complications from cosmetic surgeries performed abroad, according to medical experts. Increasing numbers of Britons are travelling to countries such as Turkey and Eastern Europe for cheaper breast enlargements, tummy tucks, and other aesthetic procedures.
A study by Cardiff and Bangor universities in Wales analysed medical records of 655 patients treated for complications between 2011 and 2024. It found that wound infections and poor healing were the most common issues, sometimes leading to intensive care treatment, additional surgeries, prolonged antibiotic use, and in rare cases, life-threatening complications such as organ failure, cardiac arrest, or brain injury.
The research estimated that the NHS spends an average of £19,549 per patient managing these cases. Most affected patients were women who had travelled abroad for cosmetic procedures.
Professor Vivien Lees of the Royal College of Surgeons in England warned: “It should not be the role of the NHS to routinely mop up the mistakes of private providers overseas. Too often people are drawn in by cut-price deals and glossy online marketing, only to return with serious, sometimes life-changing complications.”
The dangers of medical tourism have been highlighted by high-profile tragedies, including the death of 26-year-old Bolton mother Demi Agoglia in 2024, who suffered fatal complications following a Brazilian butt-lift in Turkey. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has urged Britons to “think carefully” before seeking cosmetic procedures abroad, warning that “if the offer looks too good to be true, I suspect it is.”
In response, the Department of Health has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the risks associated with medical tourism and pledged to work with governments in popular destination countries to improve patient safety.
