FOI reference: FOI-2026-3347
You asked
I would like to request the estimated number of visits by residents of Scotland to overseas countries for medical treatment using data from the International Passenger Survey (IPS).
I would like the figures broken down by calendar year - 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 and by international country visited.
Please can you provide the requested information in an Excel or CSV file.
We said
Thank you for your request.
You can find the data you have requested in the associated download (24.0 kB xlsx) which has been collected using our International Passenger Survey (IPS). The IPS is a continuous survey conducted at major ports of entry to or exit from the UK. It collects data from a sample of the population.
Please note, we do not hold data for 2020 as our survey operations were not running due to the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). In addition, for 2025, we only have data for Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 as we have not yet completed our data processing for the latter half of the year. The data collected from July 2024 onwards is also using a new IPS methodology. Therefore, these estimates are published as 'official statistics in development' and the ONS advise against making direct comparisons with data from previous years. More information on these changes and data considerations can be found here: Improving our travel and tourism statistics - Office for National Statistics.
Please refer to the notes in the xlsx file alongside viewing the data. The data is also the unrounded estimates. We advise using this bespoke data with caution due to the low sample sizes.
Please also note that some of the data has been suppressed, as we have implemented necessary disclosure control measures to ensure individuals cannot be identified. Section 39 of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (SRSA) renders it a criminal offence to disclose information held by the Statistics Board (ONS) for statistical purposes that would identify an individual. As we are prohibited by law from publishing statistics in which individuals can be identified, Section 44(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) applies to the suppressed data.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please let us know.