A colonoscopy is a camera examination of the large bowel, commonly to investigate bleeding or a change in bowel habit. At the end of June 2026, 71,360 people across England were on the waiting list for colonoscopy, and 31% had waited longer than the NHS’s six-week target — but where you live changes that wait dramatically, and private scans are available within days.
Where colonoscopy waits are longest
| NHS trust | People waiting | Waiting beyond 6 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth Hospitals University | 1,593 | 80% |
| Hampshire Hospitals | 1,500 | 77% |
| Oxford University Hospitals | 979 | 64% |
| Northampton General Hospital | 687 | 63% |
| Mid and South Essex | 2,114 | 62% |
| University Hospitals Birmingham | 2,905 | 60% |
| Northern Lincolnshire and Goole | 1,334 | 59% |
| Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals | 675 | 57% |
| Kingston and Richmond | 574 | 57% |
| Isle of Wight | 289 | 57% |
| Barts Health | 2,510 | 56% |
| Wye Valley | 348 | 55% |
A wait beyond six weeks for colonoscopy is counted as a breach of the NHS standard. In the trusts above, most patients had waited longer than that — which is exactly where going private saves the most time.
Skip the queue with private treatment
A long wait for colonoscopy is a wait for the answers a diagnosis brings. A self-pay colonoscopy costs around £2,795, and cover pays for treatment like it in full, usually within weeks. It will not pay for a condition you are already waiting on, so arrange it before a problem starts — compare cover, see if it is worth it, or get a free quote.
Frequently asked questions
What does going private cost for colonoscopy? Self-pay prices start around £2,795 at UK private hospitals. Private medical insurance covers diagnostic tests in full when you are referred, provided the problem is not one you already have.
Why do NHS colonoscopy waits vary so much? Capacity, staffing and demand differ by trust, so the wait for the same test can be a few days in one place and several months in another.
Source: NHS England Referral to Treatment (RTT) and Diagnostics (DM01) waiting-times statistics, June 2026; self-pay figures from UK private hospitals’ own published price lists. Waiting-list figures change monthly.