How long is the NHS wait for knee replacement surgery in the NW3 postcode?

Patients living in the NW3 postcode (Hampstead (NW3)) are typically referred to Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust or Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. The current median NHS wait for knee replacement surgery across these trusts is approximately 16 weeks. The 92nd percentile (long-tail) wait can extend to 47 weeks. NHS England publishes wait times at the trust level, not the outcode level — so this is the closest accurate breakdown for NW3 residents.

How much does private knee replacement surgery cost near NW3?

Nuffield Health and Spire Healthcare publish per-hospital prices for knee replacement surgery ranging £13,120–£20,120 across 67 hospitals nationally — Spire Healthcare median £16,670, Nuffield Health median £17,445. Those are national price lists rather than London quotes, and each operator's headline figure covers different things. London also has Circle and HCA Healthcare hospitals. Always confirm the exact total (consultation, surgery, anaesthesia, follow-ups) in writing before booking.

Can I be referred to an NHS trust outside NW3?

Yes. Under NHS Patient Choice rules you can 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 for treatment further from home are your own responsibility.

Knee replacement surgery in NW3 (Hampstead (NW3))

If you live in the NW3 postcode (Hampstead (NW3)), your GP will most likely refer you to Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust or Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. The current median NHS wait for knee replacement surgery is 16 weeks. Published private prices start at £13,120.

NHS

Around the national average

16 weeks

Median wait for NW3 residents

92nd percentile wait:: 47 weeks
Patients waiting:: 13,925
Seen within 18 weeks:: 53%

Free at the point of use. Aggregated from 2 NHS trusts serving the NW area.

Private

Days, not weeks

£13,120–£20,120

Published UK prices, 67 hospitals

Spire Healthcare median:: £16,670
Nuffield Health median:: £17,445
Typical wait:: 2–4 weeks

National price lists, not local quotes — each operator defines its own inclusions. Self-fund or use health insurance. Circle and HCA also operate in most cities.

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

Are you a clinic, provider or data owner?

If you believe information on this page is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete or presented without necessary context, contact us with the page URL and supporting evidence. We review correction requests promptly, but they are not automatically accepted.

Request a correction View methodology

Next step

Compare wider options around NW3

Outcode pages are precise landing answers. Move users into the wider postcode, city, finance or provider route.

Wider NW areaPostcode-area wait data Calculate wait vs costWeeks saved and monthly cost Private GP referralStart with a referral

Compare your route

Support the NW3 research path

Outcode visitors often compare the exact local page, the city page, the procedure overview and a referral route. This block keeps those moves one click away.

Finance options

NW3 local pageCurrent16 week NHS median wait for Hampstead (NW3).NW postcode areaWider catchment view before drilling back into outcodes.London city pageCity-level NHS wait, trust context and private cost range.National overviewCompare this local wait against other cities.London private GPMove from research into assessment and referral options.

What private hospitals publish for knee replacement surgery

67 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	£16,670	£14,919–£19,663	36	Guide price, includes consultant fee and initial consultation.Total knee replacement — excludes robotic-assisted.
Nuffield Health	£17,445	£13,120–£20,120	31	Guide price, excludes consultant fees, prosthesis and drugs.Total knee replacement — excludes robotic-assisted and partial (unicompartmental).

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 knee replacement surgery?

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

13 weeks saved

NHS wait

16 wk

Private quote

Private wait

3 wk

Time saved

13 weeks

Cost per week saved

£1,282

Monthly equivalent

£1,389/mo

or £695/mo over 24 months

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

Starts from Spire Healthcare’s median of £16,670. Change it to a quote you have been given.

How outcode waits work: NHS England publishes wait times per NHS trust, not per outcode. NW3 sits inside the wider NW postcode area, and patients are typically referred to Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust or Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Under NHS Patient Choice you can ask to be referred to any trust in England — not just the local one.