Hospitals in and around Belfast
NHS-equivalent hospital care in Belfast is provided by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast City Hospital and the Mater Hospital. The main private hospitals are Kingsbridge Private Hospital and the Ulster Independent Clinic.
Hospital names and ownership change. Check the current list on the Private Healthcare Information Network before relying on it.
Which system applies in Belfast
Care here is run by Health and Social Care Northern Ireland rather than by an NHS body, and the Department of Health publishes waiting times statistics. The measures differ again from those used elsewhere in the UK.
You can find the published waiting information for a hospital in Belfast and Northern Ireland through the Department of Health (NI). [2] Our waiting times tool takes you there for the specialty you need.
What is different about Belfast
Northern Ireland has the UK’s smallest private sector, so list checks matter most here.
Choosing where you are treated
In England you have a legal right to choose which hospital you are referred to for most planned care, including many independent providers working for the NHS. [3] The devolved nations run choice differently, and in practice the choice often comes down to how far you are willing to travel. [4]
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The hospital list on your policy | Insurers sell the same policy with different hospital lists; a cheaper list often excludes the nearest private hospital |
| The consultant’s fee status | A consultant who is not fee-assured with your insurer can leave you with a shortfall |
| Travel and follow-up | Follow-up appointments and physiotherapy mean repeat journeys, not one |
| Inspection rating | Regulators publish inspection reports for private hospitals as well as NHS ones |
| Who treats a complication | Private hospitals differ in what they can handle on site and when they transfer to the NHS |
Health insurance in this area
Insurers price partly on where you live, because local treatment costs and claim patterns differ. Cover bought for Belfast and Northern Ireland behaves the same as anywhere else in the UK — what changes is the hospital list you are offered and, sometimes, the premium. Our guide to what affects the price explains how postcode fits alongside age, excess and cover level.
Private hospital and consultant information is published by the Private Healthcare Information Network, and the Care Quality Commission and its equivalents publish inspection reports. [5] [6]
Questions worth asking locally
Sources and methodology
- [1] Department of Health (Northern Ireland). “Department of Health — statistics and hospital waiting times”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [2] HSC Northern Ireland. “Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [3] NHS. “Your choices in the NHS”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [4] Private Healthcare Information Network. “Private hospital and consultant performance and fee information”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [5] Care Quality Commission. “Find and compare care services”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
- [6] Competition and Markets Authority. “Private healthcare market investigation”. View source(opens in a new tab)Primary source
We cite primary sources wherever possible. Read about our sourcing methodology.
Guides that explain this in full
Andrew Buscu
PMI Specialist & Copywriter, PremierPMI
- Whole-of-market private medical insurance adviser
- Claims and renewal specialist
Andrew is a member of the private medical insurance advisory team. He gathers detailed client requirements and liaises with insurers to arrange tailored quotes across the whole UK market, guiding clients from first quote through to claims and renewal. In one case he reduced a client renewal premium from £36,000 to £11,520 without reducing cover.
Read full profile
Stuart Hendy
PMI Expert and Head of Publishing, PremierPMI
- 20 years in UK private medical insurance
- Underwriting and corporate placement specialist
Stuart brings over 20 years of experience advising on UK private medical insurance. He is a key member of the private medical insurance team and Head of the Publishing Team, gathering detailed client requirements, liaising with insurers on tailored quotes, and running training on insurer product changes and underwriting nuance.
Read full profile
