A private colonoscopy cost in the UK ran from £1,755 to £3,505 at the 10 hospitals and groups that publish a self-pay price, when we read their pages on 5 November 2026, with a median of £2,713. The NHS does the same test free, but in England 30.9% of the people waiting for a colonoscopy had already waited over 6 weeks in August 2026, which is why people look at paying. Before you compare prices, check two things: whether the first consultation is in the price, and whether removing a polyp or taking a biopsy costs more. Below are the published prices hospital by hospital, what they leave out, the free NHS routes, and what a colonoscopy costs abroad.
Short answer
A private colonoscopy costs about £1,755 to £3,505 in the UK at hospitals that publish a self-pay price, with a median of £2,713 (our calculation from 10 hospitals and groups, read 5 November 2026). Five of the ten prices leave out the first consultation, which costs £145 to £244 where it is listed separately. On the NHS in England, 30.9% of the people waiting for a colonoscopy had already waited over 6 weeks in August 2026.
- Self-pay price
- £1,755 to £3,505 (10 hospitals and groups)
- Median of lowest prices
- £2,713 (our calculation)
- First consultation
- £145 to £244, extra at 5 of the 10
- NHS England, colonoscopy
- 30.9% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
Private colonoscopy cost in the UK, hospital by hospital
These are the self-pay prices for a colonoscopy that each hospital or group publishes on its own page, cheapest first. They are not like for like: a price-list figure, a "from" price, a guide price and an estimate of hospital charges promise different things, so read the note under each one.
GBP, self-pay. Prices read on each hospital's own page; new rows on 5 November 2026. Listing a hospital is not a recommendation, and no hospital pays to appear.
Average cost of a private colonoscopy
Taking each hospital's or group's lowest published price, the median is £2,713 and the simple average £2,550. The spread runs from £1,755 at Oaklands Hospital (Ramsay Health Care) to £3,505 at Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital. That is our calculation from 10 published prices, not an official average.
The four Spire hospitals we read charge from £2,700 to £2,802 for the procedure, with the consultation on top. Practice Plus Group lists £1,949 at the 5 locations on its colonoscopy page and says its private wait is 4 to 6 weeks. Nuffield Health's guide prices, £3,180 and £3,505 at the two hospitals we read, already include the first consultation, so the gap to the others is smaller than it looks. St John & St Elizabeth Hospital's £1,885 is an estimate of hospital charges, and consultant fees may be extra.
What the price of a private colonoscopy leaves out
- The first consultation. Spire lists it at £217 to £244 depending on the hospital, and Practice Plus Group at £145. Ask whether the hospital needs a consultation before the test.
- Removing a polyp or taking a biopsy. The NHS says any growths found are removed or sampled during the test. Ashtead Hospital lists its colonoscopy with removal of tissue from £2,241, and St John & St Elizabeth charges more for a therapeutic colonoscopy than a diagnostic one. Ask what the price becomes if a polyp is removed.
- The consultant and the sedation. Spire says its price can rise with the consultant chosen, the anaesthetic and the drugs used; Nuffield says the same about consultant fees and drugs.
- The results. The NHS says results usually come a few weeks after the test. If a sample is sent to the lab, ask whether testing it is in the price and who explains the result.
Private colonoscopy vs the NHS wait and free screening
On the NHS in England, 30.9% of the people waiting for a colonoscopy had already waited over 6 weeks in August 2026: 76,686 people were on the list. Our NHS colonoscopy waiting time page tracks this figure, and the NHS waiting list tracker has each month's numbers.
Two free routes come before paying. If you are 50 to 74 and registered with a GP, the NHS posts a bowel cancer screening home test (FIT kit) every 2 years; if it finds blood, you are usually offered a colonoscopy (NHS). The screening page also says to see your GP if you have symptoms you are worried about, and the NHS lists bleeding from your bottom, diarrhoea or constipation that does not go away, and weight loss you cannot explain among the reasons people are referred for a colonoscopy (NHS). Paying privately buys a sooner date, not a different test.
Colonoscopy abroad: what it costs with the trip
Clinics abroad that publish a price charge far less than UK hospitals, and on these figures the trip still comes out cheaper to every country but Japan. The saving shrinks the further you fly, because the flight and hotel cost more than the test. You also need a day for the bowel preparation and someone to take you back after sedation: the NHS says you cannot drive for 24 hours.
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 clinic's price includes.
The cheapest trip we found is to Poland, about £467 with travel. If a polyp is removed abroad, bring the report and the lab result home so your GP can arrange any follow-up: see what to bring home after treatment abroad. Every country's clinics are on colonoscopy abroad.
Before you pay for a private colonoscopy
- Get the full price in writingAsk for one figure that covers the consultation, the sedation, the procedure and the lab tests if a sample is taken.
- Ask about polypsAsk what the price becomes if a polyp is removed, and whether that is decided during the test.
- Ask how results reach your GPAsk who explains the result and whether a copy goes to your GP.
- Keep your NHS placeAsk your NHS hospital whether paying privately changes your place on its list.