Treatment costs
What common scans, tests and procedures cost privately in the UK, and how cover applies.
- What is an excess on health insurance? — An excess is the amount you pay towards eligible treatment before your insurer pays the rest. On UK private medical insurance it is usually charged once per policy year, though some policies apply it to each separate condition claimed for. Choosing a higher excess normally lowers the premium and raises what you pay at claim.
- How much does a private MRI scan cost? — A private MRI scan has no single UK price. Published Nuffield Health examples include £470 for one part at Glasgow and £589 for one area at Leeds, while contrast is listed separately at Leeds. Compare the body area, reporting, contrast, referral requirements and site before treating two figures as equivalent.
- How much does a private CT scan cost? — A private CT scan does not have one national price. Nuffield Health publishes £873 for one area at Leeds and a £650 guide price at Bristol, but the Bristol scope is not stated as identical. Leeds also lists contrast separately at £152. Confirm the area, reporting and contrast before comparing quotes.
- How much does a private ultrasound scan cost? — Private ultrasound prices vary by scan type and setting. Clarity Ultrasound in Exeter lists £130 for an abdominal scan, while Nuffield Health Leeds publishes £365–£700 for one area. These are different service settings, not a national range. Match the scan type, reporting, referral route and included fees before comparing.
- How much does a private endoscopy cost? — Private endoscopy pricing depends on the exact procedure and package. Practice Plus Group publishes £1,399 for gastroscopy, while Nuffield Health Glasgow lists £2,441 for a stomach examination or gastroscopy. Sedation, biopsy, histology, consultation and follow-up may not be identical, so request itemised terms before comparing either figure.
- How much does a private colonoscopy cost? — There is no fixed UK private colonoscopy price. Practice Plus Group publishes £1,849, while Nuffield Health Glasgow lists £3,145. The £1,296 difference does not prove equivalent scope: consultation, sedation, biopsy, histology, polyp-related work and follow-up may be treated differently. Compare itemised, dated quotes rather than a supposed national average.
- How much does private cataract surgery cost? — Private cataract surgery prices are normally quoted per eye and depend on lens and package. PHIN’s March 2026 city averages ranged from £2,522 in Sheffield to £3,417 in Cardiff. Practice Plus Group publishes standard monofocal options from £1,995 to £2,244, with consultation or scan items shown separately.
- How much does a private hip replacement cost? — Private hip replacement packages vary by city, provider and scope. PHIN’s March 2026 city averages ranged from £13,847 in Glasgow to £17,540 in Cambridge. A 2023–24 NHS trust self-pay tariff listed £10,000 for a standard procedure, but that older trust tariff is not representative of independent hospitals.
- How much does a private knee replacement cost? — Private knee replacement packages differ by location, procedure and inclusions. PHIN’s March 2026 city averages ranged from £14,341 in Glasgow to £18,236 in Cambridge. A 2023–24 NHS trust self-pay tariff listed £10,500 for a standard replacement and £7,500 for a partial replacement, which are not equivalent procedures.
- How much does private hernia repair cost? — Private hernia repair has no single UK price because the hernia type, technique, site and package vary. Practice Plus Group publishes a broad £2,000–£6,000 range and named examples from £3,449 to £4,485, with consultation or diagnostic fees of £145–£200 shown separately. Confirm the exact procedure before comparing.
- How much does private gallbladder removal cost? — Private gallbladder removal does not have a verified national price. Practice Plus Group publishes package or site figures of £6,349 and £6,649, with consultation or scan items of £95–£145. Other hospitals use enquiry pricing, so compare the named site, professional fees, investigations, follow-up and package exclusions in writing.