How long is the NHS wait for tonsillectomy in London?

The current median NHS wait for tonsillectomy in London (across 9 NHS trusts) is approximately 14 weeks. The 92nd percentile (long-tail) wait can extend to 47 weeks. There are 51,884 patients currently waiting on the ENT pathway across these trusts.

Where can I get tonsillectomy privately in London?

London has private hospitals operated by Spire Healthcare, Nuffield Health, Circle Health and HCA Healthcare among others. Neither Nuffield nor Spire publishes a quotable price for tonsillectomy, so ask for a written quote. Most private hospitals offer consultation packages where you can be assessed within days.

Will going private affect my NHS care for tonsillectomy?

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 ent 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.

Tonsillectomy in London: NHS wait vs private cost

The NHS waiting list for tonsillectomy in London has a median wait of 14 weeks across 9 NHS trusts serving the area. No major private hospital group publishes a quotable price for this procedure.

NHS

Around the national average

14 weeks

Median wait in London

92nd percentile wait:: 47 weeks
Patients waiting:: 51,884
Seen within 18 weeks:: 56%

Free at the point of use. Specialty-level data covering ENT.

Private

Days, not weeks

Not published

No quotable price published

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 citiesTonsillectomy waits nationwide Calculate wait vs costWeeks saved and monthly cost Get a private GP referralSame-day referral options

Compare your route

Keep comparing tonsillectomy 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 pageCurrent14 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 tonsillectomy

Too few hospitals publish a price for this procedure to give a meaningful median, so here are the 3 that do, individually. A median drawn from this many hospitals would be a coin toss with a statistical word attached.

Spire Healthcare

Adult tonsillectomy — excludes child and adenotonsillectomy prices. Guide price, includes consultant fee and initial consultation.

Read from each operator’s own published price pages, 2026-10-05. These are individual hospitals’ published figures, not a national average.

NHS trusts serving London

NHS Trust	Median wait	92nd %ile	Patients waiting	< 18 wks
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust RJ1	12 wk	36 wk	5,458	65%
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust RJ2	18 wk	41 wk	8,438	51%
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RJ7	14 wk	37 wk	5,259	59%
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust RAS	17 wk	39 wk	3,756	51%
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust RYJ	14 wk	37 wk	7,666	60%
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust RP4	0 wk	0 wk	0	—
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust RAL	16 wk	40 wk	9,616	56%
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RQM	17 wk	43 wk	5,511	52%
Barts Health NHS Trust R1H	19 wk	47 wk	6,180	49%

Tonsillectomy in London: FAQs

How much does private tonsillectomy cost in London?

Neither Nuffield Health nor Spire Healthcare publishes a quotable price for tonsillectomy, so there is no published figure to quote. Ask for a written quote. 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 tonsillectomy in London is approximately 14 weeks, with a 92nd percentile wait of 47 weeks across the local ENT 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.