Cholecystectomy prices, read 15 August 2026
What does gallbladder removal cost in the UK?
Gallbladder removal is an NHS operation and costs the patient nothing there. Where UK providers publish a self-pay figure, keyhole removal is listed between £6,649 and £7,995 at the three we read on 15 August 2026. Those are published prices for a standard case, not quotes: an inflamed gallbladder or a switch to open surgery changes what a hospital will charge. Tell us your situation and private hospitals will price it for you.
£6,649
Practice Plus Group's published fixed price for gallbladder removal surgery, read 15 August 2026
From £7,223
Benenden Hospital's published guide price for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, read 15 August 2026
About 1 hour
how long the operation usually takes, under general anaesthetic, according to the NHS
Three steps
- Answer a few questions about where you have got to and what needs pricing. Two minutes, no account.
- Your answers go to private hospitals and surgical clinics near your postcode that do gallbladder removal, and nowhere else.
- They come back to you with a price for your own case. Set it against the published figures below and the NHS route, then decide, or do not.
Gallbladder Surgery Cost is an independent site operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd. We are not a hospital or a healthcare provider and nothing here is medical advice: whether your gallbladder should be removed, and by which method, are questions for your GP and a surgeon. We are not affiliated with the NHS, the Care Quality Commission, the General Medical Council, PHIN or any provider named here. Prices on this site are the figures those named providers publish, with the date we read them, and your own price comes from your own consultation. If you use the form we pass your details to private hospitals and surgical clinics who contact you directly, and we may receive a fee from them; you pay us nothing.
Published UK gallbladder removal prices, August 2026
Last updated
Three UK providers publish a self-pay figure for removing a gallbladder. Here they are as published, read on 15 August 2026, with the wording each provider attaches to its own number.
Every figure below was read on 15 August 2026 from the named provider's own published price page and is reproduced with the basis that provider states. We deliberately publish no UK average: the three figures rest on different definitions, one fixed and two minimum 'from' prices, and averaging them would invent a number nobody charges. Inclusion here means the provider publishes a price, not that we recommend it. The price you are given depends on your own case and comes from a consultation.
| Provider and basis | What the published figure covers | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| Practice Plus Group, gallbladder removal surgery | A fixed price: Practice Plus Group states the quote it gives is the amount you pay, covering consultant fees, anaesthetic, any overnight stay, prescriptions and post-operative appointments. The initial consultation is £145 on top, and tests arising from it are charged separately | £6,649 |
| Benenden Hospital, laparoscopic cholecystectomy | A guide price, which the hospital defines as an indication of the minimum cost you may incur rather than a fixed or guaranteed figure | From £7,223 |
| Spire Bushey Hospital, gallbladder and gallstone removal | A 'from' treatment price, described by Spire as the minimum cost of the procedure; the total package including the initial consultation and aftercare is published at from £8,228 | From £7,995 |
| Practice Plus Group, initial consultation | The first appointment with a consultant, including a nurse assessment and any bloods or swabs needed; imaging arising from it is charged separately | £145 |
| NHS gallbladder removal | No charge to the patient. The NHS says the gallbladder may not need removing if gallstones are causing no symptoms, so referral is a clinical decision | £0 |
- Practice Plus Group publishes a fixed price of £6,649 for gallbladder removal surgery, with a separate £145 initial consultation (price list read 15 August 2026).
- Benenden Hospital publishes a guide price from £7,223 for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and defines a guide price as an indication of the minimum cost rather than a guaranteed one (read 15 August 2026).
- Spire Bushey Hospital publishes a from price of £7,995 for gallbladder and gallstone removal, or from £8,228 for the total package including consultation and aftercare (read 15 August 2026).
- The NHS states that gallbladder removal usually takes about 1 hour under general anaesthetic, that most people have keyhole surgery, and that you can usually go home the same day.
Cite this page
“Published UK gallbladder removal prices, August 2026”, Gallbladder Surgery Cost, https://gallbladdersurgerycost.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-15). Every figure below was read on 15 August 2026 from the named provider's own published price page and is reproduced with the basis that provider states. We deliberately publish no UK average: the three figures rest on different definitions, one fixed and two minimum 'from' prices, and averaging them would invent a number nobody charges. Inclusion here means the provider publishes a price, not that we recommend it. The price you are given depends on your own case and comes from a consultation.
Guides
The longer answers, with sources.
- Private gallbladder removal cost: the published UK figures
What three UK providers publish for private gallbladder removal, read 15 August 2026, what each price includes, and the costs that usually sit outside it.
- How long is the wait for gallbladder surgery in the UK?
There is no single national wait for gallbladder removal. The 18-week right in England, how to check your own hospital, and how to weigh that against a private price.
- Keyhole or open gallbladder surgery: what the NHS says
Most gallbladder removals are keyhole. What the NHS says happens in each, why open surgery is sometimes used, and what that means for a private price you are quoted.
- How to check a private hospital before booking surgery
Independent hospitals must register with their national regulator. How to read inspection reports, verify the surgeon, and use PHIN before you pay a surgical deposit.
Straight answers
How much does gallbladder removal cost privately in the UK?
The published figures we read on 15 August 2026 were a fixed £6,649 at Practice Plus Group, a guide price from £7,223 at Benenden Hospital for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and from £7,995 at Spire Bushey Hospital, or from £8,228 for Spire's total package including consultation and aftercare. These are those providers' published prices, not a national average.
Is gallbladder removal free on the NHS?
Yes, it costs the patient nothing. Whether it is offered is a clinical decision: the NHS says the gallbladder may not need removing if gallstones are not causing symptoms, and that removal is often recommended where gallstones cause problems such as severe or frequent tummy pain.
How long does gallbladder surgery take?
The NHS says the operation usually takes about 1 hour, and is done under general anaesthetic so you are asleep throughout. Most people have keyhole surgery, and most can go home the same day, although some need to stay overnight.
How long is recovery after gallbladder removal?
The NHS says it can take several weeks to recover, with painful wounds for a few days, and that you may be able to return to work 1 to 2 weeks afterwards depending on the type of work and the type of surgery. Jobs involving heavy lifting or long periods standing may mean longer.
Can you live without a gallbladder?
The NHS says you can live without a gallbladder and continue to eat a normal, healthy diet after it has been removed, and advises eating small meals for the first few days after the operation. Any specific dietary concerns are worth raising with your surgical team.
Does this site charge for the introduction?
No. It is free to you and you are under no obligation. We pass your answers only to private hospitals and surgical clinics near you that carry out this operation, and they contact you directly. We may be paid a fee by a provider, which funds the site, and it does not change what you are quoted.