Bunion surgery cost in the UK (2026)
Private, NHS and abroad
Home › Guides › Bunion surgery cost in the UK (2026): private, NHS and abroad
Paying for it yourself, bunion surgery at a UK private hospital is listed at £4,849 to £8,635 on most of the hospitals' own price pages we checked on 31 Oct 2026. Practice Plus Group charges a fixed £4,849 [1]. On the NHS it costs nothing, but in August 2026 the median wait for trauma and orthopaedic treatment in England was about 14 weeks (13.8) [8]. Abroad, hospitals' own price lists put it at £953 to £2,080 in Poland (4 lists) and £1,226 to £1,861 in Hungary (3 lists), checked 6 Oct 2026 [11].
Written by Saher Shodhan. Every price on this page was checked against the provider's own page on 31 Oct 2026, unless a row says otherwise. Sources are numbered at the end.
Bunion Surgery Cost in the UK: the Short Answer
| Route | What you pay | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| UK private, self-pay | £4,849 to £8,635 at most hospitals we checked | From Practice Plus Group's fixed price to Nuffield Health Haywards Heath's guide price. Two hospitals list lower prices: see the table below. What each price covers differs. |
| NHS | No charge | 843,419 people were waiting for trauma and orthopaedic treatment in England in August 2026, and 61.1% had waited under 18 weeks. |
| Poland, private | £953 to £2,080 | From 4 Polish hospitals' own price lists. What each includes differs. Flights and a hotel come on top. |
| Hungary, private | £1,226 to £1,861 | From 3 Hungarian hospitals' own price lists. What each includes differs. Flights and a hotel come on top. |
| Latvia, Lithuania | Too few price lists to quote | We hold 2 published price lists in each, too few to give a fair range. |
UK: providers' own price pages, checked 31 Oct 2026 [1] to [5]. NHS: NHS England, August 2026 figures, published 8 Oct 2026 [7]. Abroad: Thera clinic price index, checked 6 Oct 2026 [11].
Comparing options for your own treatment? Ask us, free →
UK self-pay prices by hospital
| Provider | Hospital | Price | What the price covers | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuffield Health | Nuffield Brentwood | £2,866 | Guide price for treatment. Far below Nuffield's other bunion prices, so ask exactly what it covers. | 31 Oct 2026 |
| Horder Healthcare | The Horder Centre | from £4,159 | Listed as a "bunionectomy". The provider says the price "includes surgery, hospital stay, and follow-up". The initial consultation, £220, is extra. Guide price effective from 1 Jan 2026. | 31 Oct 2026 |
| Practice Plus Group | Its hospitals in England | £4,849 | Fixed price for bunion removal surgery. The initial consultation, £145, is extra. The provider says the price "includes prescriptions, aftercare, equipment used, and any extra complications that may arise". | 31 Oct 2026 |
| Nuffield Health | Nuffield Brighton | £5,630 | Guide price for treatment | 31 Oct 2026 |
| KIMS Hospital | Maidstone, Kent | from £5,662 | Guide price for bunion surgery | 31 Oct 2026 |
| Spire Healthcare | Spire Bristol | from £5,694 | Bunion removal and treatment: the initial consultation (£283) plus treatment from £5,411, with aftercare included. | 31 Oct 2026 |
| Spire Healthcare | Spire Bristol | from £8,379 | Scarf osteotomy for hallux valgus: the initial consultation (£215) plus treatment from £8,164, with aftercare included. | 31 Oct 2026 |
| Nuffield Health | Nuffield Haywards Heath | £8,635 | Guide price for treatment | 31 Oct 2026 |
Providers' own price pages, checked 31 Oct 2026 [1] to [5]. These are published fixed, "from" and guide prices. Ask each hospital for a written quote after your consultation.
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Why Bunion Surgery Prices Vary
The NHS says "the most common surgery for bunions is an osteotomy" [6]. Hospitals name and price the operations differently, and the published prices show where the gaps come from:
- Which operation: Spire Bristol lists "bunion removal and treatment" from £5,694 and a "scarf osteotomy for hallux valgus" from £8,379 [5]. The Horder Centre's price, from £4,159, is for an operation it lists as a "bunionectomy" [2]. Ask which operation a quote is for.
- Which hospital: Nuffield Health lists bunion surgery at £2,866 in Brentwood, £5,630 in Brighton and £8,635 in Haywards Heath [3].
- Whether the consultation is included: Practice Plus Group (£145) and the Horder Centre (£220) charge for the first consultation on top. Spire Bristol's "from" price already includes it (£283) [1] [2] [5].
- Surgeon, implant and your health: Nuffield says its final price "may vary according to Consultant fees, prosthesis or drugs used and any pre-existing medical conditions" [3]. Spire says consultants' and anaesthetists' fees "are set independently and are outside the control of Spire" [5].
- One foot or both: ask whether a price is for one foot or both.
What's Included in the Price?
Each provider words it differently, so compare quotes line by line:
- Practice Plus Group: "prescriptions, aftercare, equipment used, and any extra complications that may arise". Its price page also lists pre-operative assessment, surgery, your hospital stay and follow-up appointments including physiotherapy [1].
- Spire Healthcare: the price includes aftercare, which Spire says covers consultations and physiotherapy visits up to the number in your treatment letter, removal of stitches, dressings and medication for up to 14 days after you leave hospital [5].
- Nuffield Health: the guide price is "an approximation of the cost of treatment only". Nuffield gives a fixed all-inclusive price after your first consultation with a consultant [3].
- Horder Healthcare: surgery, hospital stay and follow-up. It says consultations, diagnostic scans and tests needed to reach a diagnosis "are not part of your procedure price" [2].
Ask each hospital, in writing, whether these are in the price:
- The first consultation
- X-rays, scans and tests ordered after the consultation
- Physiotherapy after the sessions in the package
- Treatment if something goes wrong
- Travel and somewhere to stay, for you and anyone with you
Can You Get Bunion Surgery for Free on the NHS?
Yes. NHS treatment is free, but not every bunion is operated on. The NHS says "a GP may refer you for surgery if your bunions are very painful or they're having a big effect on your life", and that "surgery is not done just to improve how your feet look" [6]. It also says you "might be able to refer yourself directly to a podiatrist without seeing a GP" [6].
If you are referred, you may wait. In August 2026, 843,419 people were waiting for trauma and orthopaedic treatment in England, and 61.1% had waited under 18 weeks [7]. The median wait for this specialty was about 14 weeks (13.8) [8]. These are the latest published figures, for August 2026. They cover all trauma and orthopaedic treatment, not bunion surgery alone. NHS England publishes the September 2026 figures on 12 Nov 2026.
The NHS says that "in many cases you have the legal right to choose where you have your NHS treatment", and you can ask to be moved "to a different provider if you're likely to wait longer than the maximum waiting time" [9]. My Planned Care has information for people waiting for treatment [10].
Bunion Surgery Abroad: Cost and Checks
Abroad, the operation costs less, but the trip adds cost and questions. Four Polish hospitals' own price lists put bunion surgery at £953 to £2,080, and three Hungarian hospitals' lists at £1,226 to £1,861, converted at the European Central Bank rate (checked 6 Oct 2026) [11]. We hold too few published price lists in Latvia and Lithuania to quote a fair range. Flights, a hotel and any follow-up care come on top.
Plan the journey home before you book. After bunion surgery the NHS says you'll usually need to "rest and keep your feet raised as much as possible for at least 2 weeks" and "avoid driving for 6 to 8 weeks" [6]. It also says "bunions sometimes come back after surgery" [6], so ask who sees you if you need help once you are home.
Our guides to bunion surgery costs in Poland, bunion surgery abroad, step by step and the countries UK patients choose for foot and ankle surgery go further. The clinic price index shows each clinic's own published price.
When this may not be right for you
If your bunion is not painful, the NHS says "surgery is not done just to improve how your feet look" [6]. If your NHS wait is short, NHS treatment costs nothing, and you can ask to move hospital if you are likely to wait longer than the maximum time [9]. A UK private hospital keeps your surgeon and check-ups close to home. Abroad, you travel back soon after the operation, so any follow-up in the UK needs planning before you go.
Before you pay a deposit
Three checks to make yourself before any money changes hands:
- Find the hospital on its country's official register of healthcare providers, under the company name on the quote.
- Get your surgeon's name in writing and look them up where the country has a public register of doctors.
- Get the quote itemised in writing, and ask what happens, and who pays, if you need help with your foot after you are back in the UK.
Our 15 questions to ask a hospital abroad give you the wording.
Clinics we hold, by country
Each has a free summary page: the register entry we found, the Google listings and any published prices. Thera is free for patients. No clinic can pay to change the prices we publish.
Frequently asked questions
How much is bunion surgery in the UK?
Paying for it yourself, most UK private hospitals we checked list it at £4,849 to £8,635, on their own price pages read on 31 Oct 2026. The lowest listing we found was £2,866 at Nuffield Brentwood. On the NHS it is free.
How much does bunion removal surgery cost?
Practice Plus Group charges a fixed £4,849 for bunion removal surgery, plus £145 for the first consultation. Spire Bristol lists bunion removal and treatment from £5,694, including the consultation. Both were checked on 31 Oct 2026.
How much does a bunionectomy cost?
The Horder Centre lists a bunionectomy from £4,159, with the £220 first consultation on top, checked on 31 Oct 2026. Ask any hospital which operation its price is for, as the names and prices differ.
Sources
- Practice Plus Group, private patient prices: bunion removal surgery £4,849, initial consultation £145, and what the price includes. Checked 31 Oct 2026.
- Horder Healthcare, self-pay treatment prices: bunionectomy from £4,159, initial consultation £220, guide prices effective from 1 Jan 2026. Checked 31 Oct 2026.
- Nuffield Health, hospital price lists for Brentwood (£2,866), Brighton (£5,630) and Haywards Heath (£8,635), and the note on what a guide price covers. Checked 31 Oct 2026.
- KIMS Hospital, private medical treatment price list: bunion surgery from £5,662. Checked 31 Oct 2026.
- Spire Healthcare, Spire Bristol, bunion removal and treatment: from £5,694 (consultation £283, treatment from £5,411); scarf osteotomy for hallux valgus from £8,379 (consultation £215, treatment from £8,164). Checked 31 Oct 2026.
- NHS, Bunions. Read 31 Oct 2026.
- NHS England, referral to treatment waiting times, August 2026, statistical press notice, table 1, Trauma and Orthopaedic Service (excludes trusts that did not send data). Published 8 Oct 2026.
- NHS England, incomplete pathways by commissioner, August 2026, national sheet, Trauma and Orthopaedics median wait 13.8 weeks (an estimate from grouped data). Published 8 Oct 2026.
- NHS, Your choices in the NHS. Read 31 Oct 2026.
- NHS, My Planned Care. Read 31 Oct 2026.
- Thera Travel, clinic price index: clinics' own published price lists, converted at the European Central Bank rate of 6 Oct 2026. Bunion surgery: Poland, 4 price lists; Hungary, 3 price lists. Checked 6 Oct 2026.
Related: ankle replacement cost in the UK, knee replacement cost in the UK, orthopaedic clinics we hold, the clinic price index.
This guide is general information, not medical advice.
Clinics UK patients look at
The four with the most Google reviews among the orthopaedic clinics we hold. Each has a free page with its records.
Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, ChennaiChennai, India
KIMS-Sunshine Hospitals, BegumpetHyderabad (Begumpet), India
Yashoda Hospitals, SomajigudaHyderabad (Somajiguda, Raj Bhavan Road), India
Yashoda Hospitals, MalakpetHyderabad (Malakpet, Nalgonda X Roads), India
Written by Saher Shodhan
Saher Shodhan is the founder of Thera Travel, which publishes what the official records show about clinics abroad, each fact with the date it was checked, and answers patients' enquiries, free. More about Thera → How we write and check our guides →
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