‘Unthinkable’ NHS waiting lists force patients to get surgery abroad

A record 7.68 million patients are waiting for routine NHS hospital treatment in England which is prompting some people to explore other options, including going abroad.

Annabel Harris was told by her doctor that she needed a full hip replacement, and discovered it would be years until she could be treated by the health service. Instead, she joined the growing number of Britons choosing to pay to have surgery in another country.