NHS Waiting Times vs Private UK 2026
Compare current NHS waiting times against private treatment costs for 15 of the most common procedures across 30 English cities. NHS data refreshed monthly from official NHS England Referral to Treatment statistics.
Orthopaedic surgery
Knee replacement surgery
Total or partial knee joint replacement for severe arthritis or joint damage.
Hip replacement surgery
Total hip replacement for arthritis, fracture, or degenerative joint disease.
Carpal tunnel release
Surgical decompression of the median nerve at the wrist for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Bunion surgery
Hallux valgus correction (osteotomy or fusion) for painful bunions.
Shoulder arthroscopy
Keyhole surgery to repair rotator cuff tears, labral tears, or impingement.
Eye surgery
General surgery
Hernia repair
Surgical repair of inguinal, umbilical, hiatus or incisional hernia, often laparoscopic.
Varicose vein treatment
Endovenous laser, radiofrequency ablation, or sclerotherapy for varicose veins.
Gallbladder removal
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy — removal of the gallbladder, usually for gallstones.
Gynaecology
ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat)
Diagnostic scans
Colonoscopy
Endoscopic examination of the large bowel, often with biopsy or polyp removal.
MRI scan
Magnetic resonance imaging — non-radiation diagnostic scan for soft tissue.
CT scan
Computed tomography — high-detail X-ray cross-sections of the body.
Cardiology
Find your local wait by postcode
82 English postcode areas mapped to their primary NHS trust. Pick yours to see the local wait time and private cost.
Use this data in your own work
Treatcompare publishes the underlying NHS waits dataset under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Free to use with attribution. Refreshed monthly.
Data source: NHS England RTT Waiting Times Statistics, Jan 2026. Last updated 2026-04-08. NHS waiting time data from NHS England RTT statistics, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Private price ranges are typical published figures from major UK private hospital groups (Spire, Nuffield, Circle, BMI). Coverage is currently NHS England only. See our methodology for full details.