Private hysterectomy fees soar as NHS waiting lists grow

Women in Britain are paying up to £11,154 for a hysterectomy in a private hospital amid huge delays for NHS gynaecological care, research reveals.

- Denis Campbell

The average cost of undergoing the procedure privately has soared by 19% from £7,385 in 2021 to £8,795 last year, at a time when NHS waiting lists have risen sharply. The disclosure has prompted claims that independent providers are taking advantage of long waits for health service treatment by putting up prices.

The number of women across the UK waiting for care in an NHS hospital for conditions such as fibroids and endometriosis has more than doubled from 360,400 when Covid struck in 2020 to 749,329, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has shown.

In November 584,607 women in England were on an NHS gynaecological waiting list, with 20,809 on it for more than a year. Growing numbers are thought to be going private to beat those delays.