More people than ever are seeking to have knee replacement surgery done privately. In fact, of the Top 10 independent healthcare in-patient procedures, private knee replacement surgery has had one of the biggest increases from 2019 to 2022. There are plenty of options for having private knee replacement surgery in the Glasgow area. We review the local hospitals and consultants offering this procedure.

Knee replacement surgery options in and around Glasgow

There are three hospitals offering private knee replacement surgery within 25 miles of Glasgow. Two of these are less than 5 miles from the city centre: Nuffield Health Glasgow Hospital and Ross Hall Hospital.

Ross Hall Hospital performed 540 knee replacements in the last year.

Our data shows there are 38 consultant surgeons who perform private knee replacement surgery in the Glasgow area. Most are associated with several of the different hospitals in the area, as well as providing NHS care. Some surgeons have experience in using special techniques for knee replacements, such as robotic-assisted surgery. If you look at the consultants’ individual profiles, many provide further details such as the services they offer, special interests, patient feedback scores and fees.

Cost of your initial consultation

The first step if you’re looking to have private knee replacement surgery is to have an initial consultation with a consultant orthopaedic surgeon. You’ll need a referral from your GP for this. According to our data, the average initial private consultation fee for knee replacement in the Glasgow area is £195, although it can be anywhere between £110 and £280. This will depend on which consultant you’re seeing. If you have private health insurance, check whether this initial fee is covered. You can find fees for individual surgeons on the consultants’ profiles.

Self-funding knee replacement surgery

Currently, most people having private knee replacements fund their treatment through self-pay, which means you pay for the cost of the procedure yourself. If you’re self-funding treatment, hospitals may charge for this in two different ways.

• A ‘fee-per-service’ arrangement. This is the traditional way of paying for treatment. It means you’ll receive separate invoices from the surgeon, the anaesthetist and the hospital. You often won’t know the full costs until you receive the invoices – it can be difficult to get an exact price beforehand.
• An all-inclusive ‘package price’. With this option, you’ll be given a full guide price including all the fees, before undergoing treatment. Not all consultants and hospitals offer this.

Nine of the private hospitals around Glasgow advertise guide package prices, and these range from £15,117 to £15,937. Guide prices are approximations only. The price depends on many factors, including the type of operation you’re having, any special care that you may need and who your consultant is. The hospital should confirm a final price with you after your initial consultation. It’s also important to check what your package price covers. For instance, some may include the initial consultation fee and any aftercare, and others may not

Ask the hospital whether they offer any finance options to help with the cost of the procedure. Many allow you to spread the cost of your treatment over a period of time.

For more information about self-funding treatment, see our guide to self-pay.

Paying through insurance

The other way that private treatment can be funded is through private medical insurance, or PMI. If you have PMI, it will usually cover hip replacement surgery, as long as you’re not having the operation for a pre-existing condition. Do make sure you check your own policy though, and ask your insurance company if you’re not sure. Read our guide on paying for treatment through insurance for more information. 

Important notes

The information in this article is based on hospitals within 25 miles of the centre of Glasgow, and the consultants that treat private patients at each hospital. This is available to search through PHIN’s website. If a hospital or consultant is not searchable on our website, this may be because they are in breach of legal duties set out by the Competition and Markets Authority.

The data is based on PHIN’s data on patient admissions that took place between 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023. The costs of initial consultant fees were provided directly by consultants to PHIN. Information on guide package prices was collected through an internet search of local hospitals.

This article was last updated on 21 June 2024, and some details may have changed since.