How long is the NHS wait for bunion surgery in London?

The current median NHS wait for bunion surgery in London (across 9 NHS trusts) is approximately 13 weeks. The 92nd percentile (long-tail) wait can extend to 47 weeks. There are 49,113 patients currently waiting on the Trauma & Orthopaedics pathway across these trusts.

Where can I get bunion surgery privately in London?

London has private hospitals operated by Spire Healthcare, Nuffield Health, Circle Health and HCA Healthcare among others. Nuffield and Spire publish per-hospital prices for bunion surgery ranging £2,866–£8,635 nationally — Spire Healthcare median £5,887, Nuffield Health median £7,680 — though those are national lists rather than London quotes. Most private hospitals offer consultation packages where you can be assessed within days. Ask your GP for a referral letter or self-refer directly.

Will going private affect my NHS care for bunion surgery?

No. You can self-fund private treatment without affecting your NHS care or losing your place on the NHS waiting list. Many patients use private providers to access faster surgery while keeping the NHS option as a backup.

Which London NHS trust has the shortest wait?

Across the 9 London NHS trusts in our dataset, the shortest median trauma & orthopaedics wait is at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust (0 weeks). The full breakdown is shown in the table below.

Can I be referred to an NHS trust outside London for a faster wait?

Yes. Under the NHS Patient Choice rules, you have the right to ask your GP to refer you to any NHS trust in England — not just the one closest to your home. If a trust elsewhere has a shorter waiting list, you can request a referral there. Travel costs are your own responsibility.

Bunion surgery in London: NHS wait vs private cost

The NHS waiting list for bunion surgery in London has a median wait of 13 weeks across 9 NHS trusts serving the area. Published private hospital prices run £2,866–£8,635 nationally across 13 hospitals.

NHS

Faster than the national average

13 weeks

Median wait in London

92nd percentile wait:: 47 weeks
Patients waiting:: 49,113
Seen within 18 weeks:: 58%

Free at the point of use. Specialty-level data covering Trauma & Orthopaedics.

Private

Days, not weeks

£2,866–£8,635

Published UK prices, 13 hospitals

Spire Healthcare median:: £5,887
Nuffield Health median:: £7,680
Typical wait:: 2–4 weeks

Self-fund or use health insurance. Major UK groups: Spire, Nuffield, Circle, HCA.

Next step

Decide whether to wait or go private in London

Use the local NHS wait, the private price range and related treatment pages to move from answer to action.

Compare all citiesBunion surgery waits nationwide Calculate wait vs costWeeks saved and monthly cost Get a private GP referralSame-day referral options

Compare your route

Keep comparing bunion surgery around London

City pages are useful for the headline wait. The next useful step is usually the national context, a specific postcode/outcode, a private referral route or finance.

Finance options

London city pageCurrent13 week NHS median wait with private cost range.National overviewCompare this city against other English cities.SW1A local pageWestminster (SW1A) with the closest NHS trust catchment.SW1 local pageBelgravia and Pimlico (SW1) with the closest NHS trust catchment.SW3 local pageChelsea (SW3) with the closest NHS trust catchment.London private GPFind GP consultations and referral options in the same city.

Important context

NHS waiting-time figures are published at trust or specialty level. Private prices are read from individual hospitals’ own published price lists and cover two hospital groups rather than the whole private market; each operator defines its own inclusions, so their figures are shown separately and not averaged. Local eligibility, referral route, clinical urgency, provider package and insurance status can change the real-world choice. TreatCompare is for comparison only and is not medical, legal or financial advice.

Source type: Official NHS waiting-time data and private price model
Primary source: NHS England Referral to Treatment waiting-time data
Reporting period: Jul 2026
Last updated: 2026-09-11
Figure type: Mixed sources
Use: Research and comparison only

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What private hospitals publish for bunion surgery

13 hospitals across 2 operators publish a price for this procedure. Each operator’s figures are shown separately, against that operator’s own definition of what the price covers.

Operator	Median	Across its hospitals	Hospitals	What the figure covers
Spire Healthcare	£5,887	£5,694–£5,922	4	Guide price, includes consultant fee and initial consultation.Bunion removal — excludes scarf osteotomy.
Nuffield Health	£7,680	£2,866–£8,635	9	Guide price, excludes consultant fees, prosthesis and drugs.Bunion (hallux valgus) surgery.

Why there is no single figure. These two operators define their headline price differently — Nuffield Health says its guide price excludes consultant fees, while Spire Healthcare’s includes a consultant fee and an initial consultation. Their published figures track each other closely across every procedure both price, but that is a pattern in the numbers, not a statement either company makes. Averaging them would imply a like-for-like comparison neither operator has confirmed.

Read from each operator’s own published price pages, 2026-10-05. Prices change and exclusions differ — confirm the total in writing with the hospital before booking. This covers two of the UK’s private hospital groups, not the whole private market.

Calculator

Is going private worth it for bunion surgery?

Adjust the wait and quote to estimate weeks saved, cost per week saved and simple monthly equivalents.

10 weeks saved

NHS wait

13 wk

Private quote

Private wait

3 wk

Time saved

10 weeks

Cost per week saved

£768

Monthly equivalent

£640/mo

or £320/mo over 24 months

This is a planning aid only. Actual quotes, insurance coverage and finance terms vary by provider.

Starts from Nuffield Health’s median of £7,680. Change it to a quote you have been given.

NHS trusts serving London

NHS Trust	Median wait	92nd %ile	Patients waiting	< 18 wks
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust RJ1	14 wk	37 wk	5,118	61%
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust RJ2	13 wk	45 wk	5,985	61%
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RJ7	12 wk	34 wk	4,004	68%
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RAS	14 wk	38 wk	5,912	60%
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust RYJ	14 wk	36 wk	3,281	63%
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust RP4	0 wk	0 wk	0	—
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust RAL	18 wk	47 wk	10,644	50%
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RQM	16 wk	44 wk	5,491	55%
Barts Health NHS Trust R1H	15 wk	40 wk	8,678	58%

Bunion surgery in London: FAQs

How much does private bunion surgery cost in London?

Nuffield Health and Spire Healthcare publish prices of £2,866–£8,635 for bunion surgery across 13 hospitals — Spire Healthcare median £5,887, Nuffield Health median £7,680. Those are national price lists, not London quotes, and each operator counts different things inside its figure. Local quotes in London can vary depending on consultant fee, hospital fee, anaesthetic, follow-up and any implants or lens options.

How long is the NHS wait in London?

The current median NHS wait for bunion surgery in London is approximately 13 weeks, with a 92nd percentile wait of 47 weeks across the local Trauma & Orthopaedics pathway.

What should I ask a private provider before paying?

Ask for an itemised quote showing consultant assessment, hospital fee, anaesthetic or sedation, treatment materials, follow-up appointments, cancellation terms and whether complications or revisions are covered.