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Wait or Fly

If you live in the UK

From the UK: waiting at home, paying privately, or going abroad

Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)

Short answer

For each procedure: the latest official NHS waiting figure, what private providers in the UK publish as a self-pay price, and the published price range abroad, all in GBP.

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.

Waits and prices for readers in the UK
ProcedureOfficial waitPay at homeAbroad, before travel
MRI scan22.0% waiting over 6 weeksAugust 2026£249 to £380about £48 to £449
Colonoscopy30.9% waiting over 6 weeksAugust 2026£1,890 to £3,510about £48 to £643
Health check-upNo official figure£385 to £1,120about £155 to £2,620
Cataract surgery72.2% within 18 weeks (all eye care)August 2026£2,000 to £3,610about £667 to £1,870
Laser eye surgeryNo official figure£2,590 to £7,500about £754 to £2,470
Dental implantNo official figure£2,950about £470 to £2,330
VeneersNo official figure£850about £269 to £495
Hair transplantNo official figure£5,500 to £7,000about £1,520 to £2,850
Hip replacement61.1% within 18 weeks (all orthopaedics)August 2026£16,580about £4,760 to £10,470
Knee replacement61.1% within 18 weeks (all orthopaedics)August 2026£16,910about £4,880 to £9,720
IVFNo official figure£3,800about £1,230 to £7,760

Add your flight and hotel

The calculator starts from the UK: pick a procedure and add your own flight and hotel.

Open the calculator

Can your health service pay? Read Will the NHS pay for treatment abroad?

Pages for readers in the UK

From the UK: questions

Is it cheaper to have treatment abroad than to pay privately in the UK?

Often, for the procedure price alone. Whether the trip is cheaper depends on the flight, the nights you need to stay and the time off work. The table on this page shows the gap before travel; the calculator adds travel.

Which procedures can I compare from the UK?

MRI scans, colonoscopies, health check-ups, cataract operations, laser eye operations, dental implants, veneers, hair transplants, hip replacements, knee replacements and IVF cycles, against published prices in up to 8 countries.

Will the NHS pay if I go abroad?

Only through the S2 route: state treatment at a public provider in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, approved before you go. Private clinics are not covered.

Are the waiting times on this site for my hospital?

No. They are national or regional statistics. Your own wait depends on your hospital, your priority and your referral date.

Sources

  1. Monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  2. MRI scans. Vista Health (UK). Read 26 October 2026.
  3. Colonoscopy. St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, London. Read 26 October 2026.
  4. Colonoscopy, Cambridge Hospital. Nuffield Health. Read 26 October 2026.
  5. Colonoscopy, Bournemouth Hospital. Nuffield Health. Read 26 October 2026.
  6. Health screening (reAssure). HCA Healthcare UK. Read 26 October 2026.
  7. Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times statistical press notice, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
  8. Cataract surgery. Optical Express (UK). Read 26 October 2026.
  9. Cataract surgery. St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, London. Read 26 October 2026.
  10. Cataract surgery. Nuffield Health. Read 26 October 2026.
  11. Prices. London Vision Clinic. Read 26 October 2026.
  12. Our eye surgery costs. Optimax. Read 26 October 2026.
  13. Laser eye surgery pricing. Optical Express (UK). Read 26 October 2026.
  14. What are the dental implants cost in the UK? Price guide. dental-implants-london.co.uk (London dental clinic). Read 26 October 2026.
  15. Private fees 2026. Old Harlow Dental Practice, Essex. Read 26 October 2026.
  16. Hair transplant cost and pricing. Harley Street Hair Transplant Clinic, London. Read 26 October 2026.
  17. Hip replacement. Nuffield Health. Read 26 October 2026.
  18. Knee replacement. Nuffield Health. Read 26 October 2026.
  19. IVF & fertility treatment costs: our prices. CREATE Fertility (UK). Read 26 October 2026.
  20. Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.