Guide
How much does going private cost in Scotland?
Published self-pay prices at Scottish private hospitals, as collected by hand from each hospital's own price list. A hip replacement runs roughly £13,900 to £15,832, single-eye cataract surgery £2,700 to £3,793, and an inguinal hernia repair £3,703 to £4,842.
A first private appointment with a consultant costs £191 to £275, whatever the specialty. That is the cheapest way into the private system and, for a lot of people, the only decision they actually need to make.
What the price does and doesn't include
Packages differ, and the differences are not small. Some hospitals include the consultant's first outpatient appointment in the quoted figure and some charge it separately — that is £200 to £275 either way.
No Scottish provider we have found includes pre-operative diagnostic tests in the package price. Scans and investigations are charged on top, and how much depends on what you need.
Cataract surgery is quoted per eye. Most people need both done, usually as two operations a few weeks apart, so the realistic total is roughly double the advertised figure.
The same operation costs different amounts
Prices vary by hospital even within the same company. A hip replacement is £13,900 at Ross Hall in Glasgow and £15,345 at Albyn in Aberdeen — both Circle Health Group.
Every price on this site is read from the provider's own published list, with the source page recorded, so you can check any figure yourself.
These are guide prices. The final figure is confirmed after a consultation and depends on your consultant, your case and any complications. Nothing here is a quote.
Want the figures for your own health board? Compare waits and prices where you live — free, like everything else here. There is also a paid report that assembles all of it for one board and specialty.