How much does a private colonoscopy cost?

Why you might need a colonoscopy

National screening programme

The national bowel cancer screening programme sends home testing kits to people aged 50 to 74 in England every two years. You use it to collect samples of your poo; if these show signs of blood, you may be offered a colonoscopy.

Symptoms that need further investigation

Colonoscopy procedures are used to investigate the following symptoms:

• Bleeding from your back passage.
• Persistent diarrhoea or constipation, or other unexplained changes in your bowel habits.
• Unexplained weight loss or fatigue.
• Abdominal pain.

These symptoms may be a sign of small growths in your bowel, known as colon polyps. These are usually harmless but can develop into bowel cancers if left untreated.

Your bowel symptoms could also be a sign of other conditions:

• Crohn's disease
• Diverticular disease or diverticulitis (diverticulitis is when the small pouches in your bowel wall become infected or inflamed)
• Ulcerative colitis
• Bowel or colon cancer
• Inflammatory bowel disease

Colonoscopy procedures allow your doctor to perform biopsies and remove polyps to give you a diagnosis.

Benefits of a private colonoscopy procedure

If you need an investigation into your bowel problems, here's why a private colonoscopy may be the right choice for you.

1. Shorter waiting times. If you've had an initial consultation with your GP or a consultant gastroenterologist, you may already know that you'll be facing a bit of a wait. Many bowel conditions, including bowel cancer, benefit from early intervention, so a private appointment lets you be seen and get an accurate diagnosis sooner.
2. A choice of hospital and clinician. In England, you can usually choose the hospital or consultant-led team you're referred to on the NHS, but private healthcare offers you a wider choice. You can choose a private hospital that's close to home or which has expertise in bowel symptoms. You can often also opt to see your NHS consultant privately.
3. New technologies. Private healthcare companies invest heavily in the latest technologies and treatments. While it's not guaranteed, access to the newest equipment can make the procedure more comfortable and help you to recover quickly afterwards.
4. Early screening. Bowel cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in the UK. NHS bowel cancer screening in England starts from the age of 50. However, private treatment allows you to opt for earlier screening if you have a family history of bowel cancer.

NHS waiting times

The NHS regularly publishes statistics detailing waiting times for elective (or non-emergency) treatments and their performance against Government guidelines. The latest statistics show that 65.2% of people were waiting up to 18 weeks at the end of August 2026, so Government targets aren't currently being met.

NHS England publishes monthly waiting figures for diagnostic tests, including colonoscopy: at the end of August 2026, 30.9% of the 76,686 people waiting for a colonoscopy in England had waited six weeks or more, against a standard of less than 1%. If you're facing a long wait, our guide sets out your options if you're stuck on a waiting list.

How much does a private colonoscopy cost?

Our private healthcare researchers have examined private endoscopy prices from hospitals across the UK. As of November 2026, the average cost of a private colonoscopy procedure is from £2,894, and most hospitals charge between £2,120 and £3,271. Prices include the first consultation. Source: myTribe research into prices published by 265 UK private hospitals, November 2026.

Private healthcare costs vary depending on many different factors. The most significant is the location of your chosen hospital. Bills, rents, and staffing costs are all higher in major cities, particularly central London. You may want to see the best consultant gastroenterologist, but their expertise will come at a premium. Learn more in our guide to private medical treatment costs.

How the cost of a private colonoscopy varies across the UK

As we've mentioned, the cost of a colonoscopy in a private hospital varies across the country.

The table below details the average cost of a private colonoscopy in each region of the UK where enough hospitals publish prices.

You can read more about the costs of private healthcare in the UK and the factors that influence them in our private medical treatment costs guide.

How to pay for your colonoscopy

You can choose to pay for your colonoscopy in several different ways. This can cover your initial consultation with a consultant gastroenterologist to discuss your treatment options and the procedure itself.

Self-pay

If you've been saving for emergencies and have a nest egg tucked away or have plenty of disposable income, self-pay is the most straightforward way to fund your colonoscopy. You can approach your chosen hospital to pay for an initial consultation and request a quote. Most hospitals can provide an all-inclusive quote. If you're happy, you can pay a deposit to secure your treatment appointment, and the hospital will invoice you for the balance.

Medical loan

If you don't have sufficient funds for self-pay treatment but can afford a private colonoscopy if you can spread the cost, it's worth considering a medical loan. Many private healthcare companies have partnered with finance companies to offer medical loans, sometimes with an interest-free period at the start. This lets you spread the cost without paying more in interest.

Before taking out a loan, check to see whether the payments are affordable and what the costs will be if you can't pay off the loan during the interest-free period.

Private health insurance

If you have private health insurance, you may be able to use it to fund your colonoscopy. Health insurance covers day-patient procedures like this as standard. Outpatient cover pays for the consultations and tests before it, and it isn't always included as standard. Your insurers may refuse coverage if you've had bowel problems in the past, as pre-existing conditions are usually excluded. This could be for something as simple as visiting your GP with constipation or stomach cramps.

Types of colonoscopy procedures

Standard colonoscopy

A standard colonoscopy uses a camera on a flexible tube called a colonoscope. It's a flexible telescope that goes into your bottom and large bowel, although it's long enough to go into your small intestine if necessary.

On the day you'll be given a hospital gown to wear and offered a sedative or gas and air to make you more comfortable. You'll feel drowsy but will stay awake.

You'll be asked to lie on your left side and bend your knees up. The endoscopist will examine you and insert the camera into your back passage using lubrication. They'll use air to inflate your bowel, which may make you feel bloated, then move the camera to examine your colon lining and identify any small lumps or other issues. They'll be able to see what's happening on a video screen.

The endoscopist may take some samples of body tissue or remove polyps.

If you're very uncomfortable or in pain, let your endoscopist know.

Virtual colonoscopy

A virtual colonoscopy uses a CT scanner to take several images and create a 3D image of your large bowel. It can't be used for biopsies or to remove colon polyps.

A radiographer typically carries out a virtual colonoscopy. They'll give you an injection to help your muscles relax and may inject you with a dye to make your scan images clearer. They'll also use air to expand your bowel.

Next, they'll take CT scans to create a 3D image. You'll start off lying on your back before turning onto your front.

Barium enema

A barium enema is an alternative procedure that uses a dye to highlight your large bowel. A radiographer will then take a series of x-rays to examine your colon.

What does a colonoscopy involve?

Before your colonoscopy procedure

Initially, your doctor will ask about your medical history and general health. Some medications, such as iron tablets, can affect your results so you'll need to stop taking them.

You'll also need to clear your bowel, so you'll be given a laxative.

If you're having a virtual colonoscopy, you'll need to follow a special diet, including eating low-fibre foods.

Aftercare in hospital

You'll feel drowsy afterwards, so you'll be monitored for a few hours until any sedative has worn off. It's a good idea to ask a friend or family member to drive you home and stay with you until the following day.

Your doctor may tell you how the procedure went, whether they took a biopsy or removed any polyps. You can expect to wait a few weeks for your results, which will be sent to the doctor who referred you. Your doctor will contact you to discuss any follow-up care or further tests you might need. If a virtual colonoscopy found polyps, you may need a procedure to remove them.

Recovery and symptoms

As you recover, you may feel bloated or have cramping pain. If you've had polyps removed, you could also experience some bleeding, but this should stop after a day or two. If you've had a sedative, you can't drive for 24 hours. If you feel tired, it's essential to rest and avoid drinking alcohol until you feel better.

What are the latest developments in colonoscopy?

Research has helped to make colonoscopy procedures more effective and comfortable for patients who need to have them.

Colonoscopy insertion

Research has tested using water-assisted insertion to make colonoscopies less uncomfortable and give better results. They've found that this makes the colonoscopy less painful for patients and provides a clearer image.

Reducing procedure time

Detecting and removing polyps is a vital part of a colonoscopy, so studies have looked at ways to improve this. Research has found that using a device called an Endocuff improved the endoscopist's ability to find polyps and shortened the time it took to insert the scope by about a minute.

Colon capsule endoscopy

A colon capsule endoscopy is a test that isn't available at every hospital. In a colon capsule endoscopy, you swallow a capsule that contains a miniature video camera. You can then carry on as usual as the capsule moves through your system and captures images your doctor can see on screen.

Are there any possible complications?

A colonoscopy procedure is generally low risk, but there are some potential complications.

On rare occasions, the colonoscope may tear the inner lining of your bowel, and you'll need surgery to repair it. It's common to have some bleeding afterwards, but you may need a blood transfusion if this persists.

Sometimes the sedative can cause breathing problems; your doctor will monitor and treat you if this happens.

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How to choose your hospital

Private healthcare lets you choose the hospital that best suits your needs, whether a hospital close to home or with specific facilities.

You can gather information from a hospital's website and marketing information but it's also worth looking at patient review sites to find out what other patients have said about their experiences. You can learn more about this in our guide to choosing a private consultant.

Private healthcare groups operate hospitals offering colonoscopies across the UK. You can find independent information from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), responsible for inspecting and maintaining standards in hospitals in England, and from patient review sites.

Nuffield Health

Nuffield Health is one of the UK's largest healthcare groups, and you can access a colonoscopy at many of its hospitals.

Ramsay Healthcare

Ramsay Health has focused on offering patient-focused healthcare since it opened its first hospital in 1964. They offer colonoscopies at many of their hospitals in England.

Spire

Spire operates hospitals and clinics across the UK; some offer access to NHS patients. You can find out more and search for a clinic offering colonoscopy procedures near you on their website.

Circle Health

Circle Health has private hospitals in locations the length and breadth of the UK. You can find details of their consultant gastroenterologists and book your initial consultation direct by visiting their website.

HCA

HCA is a US-based healthcare company operating in the UK since 1995. It offers colonoscopies at several sites, mostly in London and including the London Digestive Centre, and at The Wilmslow Hospital in Cheshire. Find out more on HCA's colonoscopy page.