UK · Heart bypass surgery
NHS heart bypass surgery waiting time vs paying privately or going abroad
Prices checked 27 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
Average wait for planned heart surgery, bypass and valve operations together (national cardiac surgery audit; its public summary does not say when the clock starts): just over 100 days (UK, all NHS heart surgery units, April to September 2025, published June 2026). Paying privately in the UK costs about £28,510 at the providers we checked. Published prices abroad start at £7,450 in Lithuania, before travel.
- Official wait
- Just over 100 days (April to September 2025, published June 2026)
- Pay at home
- about £28,510
- Abroad, before travel
- about £7,450 to £26,000 in 3 countries
- Paid by the NHS?
- Not reviewed yet
The official waiting figure
- Just over 100 days — Average wait for planned heart surgery, bypass and valve operations together (national cardiac surgery audit; its public summary does not say when the clock starts). UK, all NHS heart surgery units, April to September 2025, published June 2026. NICOR (National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research).
- 8,551 waiting; 73.9% within 18 weeks (all cardiothoracic surgery) — Cardiothoracic surgery as a whole, not bypass alone: people waiting to start treatment after referral, and the share within 18 weeks. England, August 2026. NHS England.
- Median 77 days; 1 in 10 waited over 124 days — Cardiac surgery: days from being placed on the list to admission for the 65 people admitted in the month; median and 90th percentile. Scotland (NHS Golden Jubilee, the national heart surgery centre), August 2026. Public Health Scotland.
NHS waiting figures here are for England, from NHS England's monthly statistics (diagnostic waits, referral to treatment). Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland publish their own.
Paying privately in the UK
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Clinic LondonLondon | £28,510about €34,050 · C$53,340 · $38,110 | Heart bypass surgery, estimated price, 7 nights (3 in intensive or high-dependency care)Hospital package: pre-assessment, room for the stated nights, theatre with standard implants, nursing, meals, routine tests, echocardiogram and ultrasound. Consultant and anaesthetist fees and extra nights are not included. The price can change if you need more complex care. Estimated price; no date given. | Cleveland Clinic Londonread 27 October 2026 |
Prices are copied as published, in the provider's currency. Conversions use the European Central Bank reference rates of 23 October 2026 and are rounded. A provider can change a price at any time: ask for a written quote.
Published prices abroad, in GBP
Converted at the European Central Bank rate and rounded; before travel and time off work.
| Country | Price range | Difference vs lowest home price |
|---|---|---|
| Heart bypass surgery in Lithuania | about £7,450 | £21,060 less |
| Heart bypass surgery in Malaysia | about £10,990 to £14,650 | £17,520 less |
| Heart bypass surgery in Thailand | about £25,270 to £26,000 | £3,240 less |
Compare with your wait and price at home
See whether the trip, with a rough travel estimate, still costs less than paying in the UK.
When not to travel
- Chest pain at rest, pain that is getting worse, or a heart attack: that is an emergency at home, not a trip.
- Anyone whose own cardiologist says they are not fit to fly before surgery.
- Anyone who cannot stay near the hospital until the surgeon and the airline agree they can fly home.
Next steps
Heart bypass surgery from the UK: questions
How long is the NHS wait for heart bypass operations?
Just over 100 days (UK, all NHS heart surgery units, April to September 2025, published June 2026). Average wait for planned heart surgery, bypass and valve operations together (national cardiac surgery audit; its public summary does not say when the clock starts).
How much does a private heart bypass surgery cost in the UK?
about £28,510 at the providers we checked: Cleveland Clinic London.
Where abroad is a heart bypass surgery cheapest from the UK?
Before travel: Lithuania about £7,450, Malaysia about £10,990 to £14,650 and Thailand about £25,270 to £26,000. Add travel, roughly a return flight and a hotel, to compare the whole trip.
Do I need a referral for a heart bypass surgery abroad?
Clinics differ, but a referral or a letter from your own doctor makes the result far more useful: it says what question the heart bypass surgery should answer, and it means someone at home will act on it.
Sources
- What the latest NHS heart care data tells us, and what it means for you (2026 interim report summary). NICOR (National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research), 18 June 2026. Read 27 October 2026.
- Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times statistical press notice, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Stage of treatment waiting times: ongoing and completed waits, monthly, August 2026. Public Health Scotland. Read 27 October 2026.
- Heart, vascular and thoracic care: self-pay prices. Cleveland Clinic London. Read 27 October 2026.
- Monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.