Hip replacement cost in the UK: private hospital prices vs abroad

The hip replacement cost in the UK, paying for yourself, ran from £13,199 to £17,887 at the 10 private hospitals and groups we checked on 2 November 2026, and the median of their lowest prices was £16,356. Most of the gap is not the operation itself but what the price covers: the first consultation, the implant, how long you stay, the aftercare and whether complications are included. Below are the published prices hospital by hospital, what each one says is in them, the NHS wait you are paying to avoid, and what the same operation costs abroad once you add the trip.

Hip replacement cost in the UK, hospital by hospital

These are the self-pay prices for a total hip replacement that each hospital or group publishes on its own page, cheapest first. They are not like for like: a fixed price, a "from" price and an average guide price are different promises, so read the note under each one before you compare.

GBP, self-pay, one hip. Prices read 2 November 2026 on each hospital's own page. Listing a hospital is not a recommendation, and no hospital pays to appear.

Average cost of a private hip replacement in the UK

Taking each hospital's or group's lowest published price, the median is £16,356 and the simple average £15,933. The spread runs from £13,199 at Practice Plus Group to £17,887 at Spire Southampton Hospital. That is our calculation from 10 published prices, not an official average.

Where you live moves the price as much as which group you pick. The 5 Spire hospitals we read charge from £14,282 in Manchester to £17,887 in Southampton for the same operation, and the 3 Ramsay hospitals from £14,990 to £16,734. Practice Plus Group charges the same £13,199 at all 10 of its hospitals that list the operation. Nuffield Health publishes one average guide price, £16,579, and gives each patient a fixed all-inclusive price after the first consultation.

What the price of a hip replacement leaves out

• The first consultation. Spire lists it separately at £217 to £281 depending on the hospital; Nuffield Health from £200; Practice Plus Group £145 on its price list. Ask whether scans or X-rays ordered at that appointment are extra: Practice Plus Group says diagnostic tests ordered at the consultation are charged on top.
• The surgeon, the implant and your health. Spire's prices are "from" prices: it says the quote can rise with the consultant you choose, the anaesthetic, the implant and your medical history. Nuffield says the same about consultant fees, the prosthesis and drugs. Practice Plus Group says its quote is the amount you pay and includes any complications.
• Robotic surgery. Spire Manchester lists a robotic-assisted hip replacement from £18,249 against £14,282 for its standard one. Ask whether a robot changes anything for you before paying more.
• Revision and resurfacing. Practice Plus Group lists hip revision surgery, for a replacement that has worn out or failed, at £22,249, and hip resurfacing at £13,999. A revision is a bigger operation; do not compare its price with a first replacement.
• Aftercare at home. Spire includes physiotherapy and follow-up consultations up to the number in your treatment letter, stitches, dressings and 14 days of medication; it says some home aids are not included. Ramsay's price pages give the "from" price without listing what it covers, so ask for the inclusions in writing.

Paying for a private hip replacement in instalments

All three big groups offer finance. Spire's representative example on its hip pages is a 48-month loan at 9.9% APR with a £1,250 deposit, applied to the treatment price and not the consultation. Practice Plus Group offers 0% interest on eligible procedures, and Ramsay offers 0% or interest-free plans at the hospitals we read, all subject to status. A loan spreads the cost; it does not change what is included, so compare the inclusions first.

Private hip replacement vs the NHS wait

On the NHS in England, 61.1% within 18 weeks (all orthopaedics) at the end of August 2026. Trauma and orthopaedics as a whole, not hip replacement alone: share of people waiting who were within 18 weeks of referral (843,419 waiting; 4 trusts did not submit data). Practice Plus Group says its private patients are typically operated on within 4 weeks. For most people the private price buys a sooner operation, not a different one. Before you pay, ask your hospital how long you are likely to wait and check your rights on our NHS hip replacement waiting time page, and see the month-by-month figures on the NHS waiting list tracker. If your operation was cancelled by the strikes, see cancelled operations and the consultant strike.

Hip replacement abroad: what it costs with the trip

Most hospitals abroad that publish a price charge less than UK private hospitals, and for an operation this expensive the flight and hotel are a small part of the total. The figures below are each country's published hospital prices in pounds, and the same with a rough return flight and hotel for the nights the operation usually needs.

Converted at the European Central Bank rate. The trip is a rough example fare and hotel, not a quote. Each country page lists what every hospital's price includes, and some leave out the implant or the stay.

A lower price is only part of the decision. Ask who will take out stitches, check the wound and see you if something goes wrong once you are home, and when you can fly: see flying after hip replacement. Every country's hospitals and what their prices include are on hip replacement abroad.

Before you pay for a hip replacement

1. Get the full quote in writingAsk for one price that names the implant, the nights in hospital, the physiotherapy and the follow-up appointments.
2. Ask about complicationsAsk what happens, and who pays, if you need to go back to theatre or stay longer.
3. Count the consultationAdd the first consultation and any scans it leads to before you compare hospitals.
4. Check your place on the NHS listAsk your NHS hospital what happens to your place on its list if you pay privately.