UK · Colonoscopy
NHS colonoscopy waiting time vs paying privately or going abroad
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
Share of people on the NHS colonoscopy waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (76,686 waiting; gastroscopy 73,297 waiting, 29.9%): 30.9% waiting over 6 weeks (England, August 2026). Paying privately in the UK costs about £1,890 to £3,510 at the providers we checked. Published prices abroad start at £48 in China, before flights and a hotel.
- Official wait
- 30.9% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
- Pay at home
- about £1,890 to £3,510
- Abroad, before travel
- about £48 to £643 in 5 countries
- Time abroad
- 2 days: bowel preparation the day before, the test the next day, and someone to take you back to your hotel after sedation
The official waiting figure
- 30.9% waiting over 6 weeks — Share of people on the NHS colonoscopy waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (76,686 waiting; gastroscopy 73,297 waiting, 29.9%). England, August 2026. NHS England.
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.
Paying privately in the UK
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| St John & St Elizabeth HospitalLondon | £1,885about €2,250 · C$3,530 · $2,520 | Diagnostic colonoscopyEstimated hospital charges from admission to discharge; therapeutic colonoscopy £1,935. Consultant fees may be extra. | St John & St Elizabeth Hospitalread 26 October 2026 |
| Nuffield Health Cambridge HospitalCambridge | £3,180about €3,800 · C$5,950 · $4,250 | Colonoscopy guide price, including the first consultationGuide price; the final price may vary with consultant fees and drugs used. | Nuffield Healthread 26 October 2026 |
| Nuffield Health Bournemouth HospitalBournemouth | £3,505about €4,190 · C$6,560 · $4,690 | Colonoscopy guide price, including the first consultationGuide price; the final price may vary with consultant fees and drugs used. | Nuffield Healthread 26 October 2026 |
Prices are copied as published, in the provider's currency. Conversions use the European Central Bank reference rates of 23 October 2026 and are rounded. A provider can change a price at any time: ask for a written quote.
Published prices abroad, in GBP
Converted at the European Central Bank rate and rounded; before flights, hotel and time off work.
| Country | Price range | Difference vs lowest home price |
|---|---|---|
| Colonoscopy in China | about £48 | £1,840 less |
| Colonoscopy in Poland | about £107 to £135 | £1,780 less |
| Colonoscopy in Hungary | about £276 to £422 | £1,610 less |
| Colonoscopy in South Korea | about £311 | £1,570 less |
| Colonoscopy in Thailand | about £618 to £643 | £1,270 less |
Add your flight and hotel
Add a return flight and 3 nights to see whether the trip still costs less than paying in the UK.
When not to travel
- Bleeding from the bottom, black stools, a change in bowel habit with weight loss, or a positive home screening test: these belong on an urgent pathway at home first. In England, ask your GP about the urgent suspected-cancer referral.
- People with serious heart, lung or kidney disease, or on blood thinners, unless the clinic has reviewed their medicines in advance.
- Travelling alone with no one to collect you after sedation. Clinics usually require an escort.
Next steps
Colonoscopy from the UK: questions
How long is the NHS wait for colonoscopies?
30.9% waiting over 6 weeks (England, August 2026). Share of people on the NHS colonoscopy waiting list who had already waited 6 weeks or more (76,686 waiting; gastroscopy 73,297 waiting, 29.9%).
How much does a private colonoscopy cost in the UK?
about £1,890 to £3,510 at the providers we checked: St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, Nuffield Health Cambridge Hospital and Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital.
Where abroad is a colonoscopy cheapest from the UK?
Before travel: China about £48, Poland about £107 to £135 and Hungary about £276 to £422. Add a return flight and 3 nights' hotel to compare the whole trip.
Do I need a referral for a colonoscopy abroad?
Clinics differ, but a referral or a letter from your own doctor makes the result far more useful: it says what question the colonoscopy should answer, and it means someone at home will act on it.
Sources
- Monthly Diagnostic Waiting Times and Activity, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Colonoscopy. St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, London. Read 26 October 2026.
- Colonoscopy, Cambridge Hospital. Nuffield Health. Read 26 October 2026.
- Colonoscopy, Bournemouth Hospital. Nuffield Health. Read 26 October 2026.
- Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times statistical press notice, August 2026. NHS England, 8 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.