Care Path for London, United Kingdom. Explore public care and possible funding before comparing private providers. Your clinician and payer decide suitability and eligibility.
NHS Right to choose · England / e-Referral
At referral for NHS consultant-led care in England, you can normally choose an NHS-contracted provider and clinical team. Ask your referrer; exceptions apply.
Who can use it: Confirm this exact treatment, eligibility and charges with the insurer or provider before booking.
Cost to you: varies — Confirm a written patient price or funding decision.
- Confirm this exact treatment, eligibility and charges with the insurer or provider before booking.
England · Official public health information · Guidance reviewed: 2026-10-15
Official source quotation
If you’re referred for consultant-led treatment, or to a mental health professional, you can: decide which provider you would like to receive care from as an outpatient choose the clinical team who will be in charge of your care within that provider organisation These choices apply to both physical and mental health, but only apply at the point of referral (from your GP, dentist or optometrist) to providers that have an NHS contract to provide the service you need. For a service to be available for you to choose, for physical health referrals, the service must be led by a consultant who has overall responsibility and in mental health the service must be led by a consultant or mental health professional. Normally the same provider you have chosen for your first outpatient appointment will also go on to provide the rest of your treatment. You can find more information on NHS services for physical and mental health on the NHS website. We’re asking all referrers to ensure they shortlist on average 5 choices from which the patient may choose, where this is practicable, clinically appropriate and preferred by the patient. Are these legal rights? Yes, but there are circumstances in which you may not choose. These are set out below.
NHS · waiting more than 18 weeks in England
If you have to wait, or have already waited, more than 18 weeks for non-urgent consultant-led NHS treatment or assessment, you can ask for another provider that may start sooner. Exceptions apply.
Who can use it: Confirm this exact treatment, eligibility and charges with the insurer or provider before booking.
Cost to you: varies — Confirm a written patient price or funding decision.
- Confirm this exact treatment, eligibility and charges with the insurer or provider before booking.
England · Official public health information · Guidance reviewed: 2026-10-15
Official source quotation
You can ask to be referred to a different provider of NHS services if: you have to wait, or have already waited, more than 18 weeks before starting treatment or assessment for a physical or mental health condition, as long as your referral is not urgent and the service you require is led by a consultant the provider is satisfied that you will not receive a diagnosis or ruling out of cancer within 28 days of an urgent referral for suspected cancer or for breast symptoms (where cancer is not suspected), and an appointment with a suitable alternative provider may expedite a diagnosis or ruling out of cancer. There must also not have been a clinical decision that you require further interval testing and/or scanning or treatment before a diagnosis or ruling out of cancer can be made Waiting times can vary between services and you have the right to ask to be referred to another provider that may be able to start your treatment sooner. Where there is more than one alternative option, you should be given a choice of which service you would like to go to. It may not always be possible to change your provider - for example, if you require specialist care.
Your NHS care
NICE says hip replacement should be available on the NHS for end-stage hip arthritis when your doctor considers it the right treatment, subject to its recommendations.
Who can use it: Confirm this exact treatment, eligibility and charges with the insurer or provider before booking.
Cost to you: varies — Confirm a written patient price or funding decision.
Reported public wait: In United Kingdom (England), the reported wait was Trauma and Orthopaedic Service (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait): 13.77 weeks — median waiting time, patients still on the public waiting list (NHS England (Referral to Treatment), August 2026).
In United Kingdom (England), the reported wait was Trauma and Orthopaedic Service (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait): 41.72 weeks — 92% of patients still on the public waiting list waited this long or less (NHS England (Referral to Treatment), August 2026).
Source: NHS England (Referral to Treatment) · Source period: August 2026 · Captured: 2026-10-14 · n=1 observations - Confirm this exact treatment, eligibility and charges with the insurer or provider before booking.
Public care information · Guidance reviewed: 2026-10-15
England (NICE TA304; individual clinical suitability applies) · Official public health information · Guidance reviewed: 2026-10-15
Official source quotation
What has NICE said? Artificial hips and hip resurfacing are recommended as possible treatments for people with end-stage arthritis of the hip. Only an artificial hip or hip resurfacing with a replacement rate of less than 1 in 20 at 10 years should be used. What does this mean for me? If you have end-stage hip arthritis, and your doctor thinks that an artificial hip or hip resurfacing is the right treatment, you should be able to have the treatment on the NHS.
Private care near home
Ask local providers for a written quote for the complete episode of care.
Who can use it: Check clinical suitability and payment arrangements with the provider.
Reported public wait: No official figure available for this route.
- Ask for a full written price and exclusions.
- Confirm follow-up and how complications would be handled.
Planned treatment abroad · S2 funding
Ask NHS England about S2 funding for planned state healthcare abroad. Treatment must be routinely available to you on the NHS; approval before treatment and other conditions apply.
Who can use it: Confirm this exact treatment, eligibility and charges with the insurer or provider before booking.
Cost to you: varies — Confirm a written patient price or funding decision.
Reported public wait: No official figure available for this route.
- Confirm this exact treatment, eligibility and charges with the insurer or provider before booking.
England · Official S2 guidance · Guidance reviewed: 2026-10-15
Official source quotation
The Planned Treatment Scheme (S2 funding route) may entitle you to NHS funding for planned state healthcare treatment in an EU country or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein if you’re eligible. The S2 funding route applies to public healthcare providers only – It does not cover private treatment. You must get approval first before travelling to receive planned treatment, as there are eligibility criteria that need to be met. Eligibility criteria To be eligible for S2 funding the following criteria must be met. Prior approval – applications must be authorised before treatment. State healthcare – the treatment must be available to you under the providing country’s state healthcare scheme (not as a private patient). Entitlement on NHS – the treatment must be routinely available to you under the NHS in your medical circumstances.
Private treatment abroad
Explore the sourced comparisons below. Travel and stay are estimates. Compare inclusions and source dates, then obtain a personalised written quote and aftercare plan before booking.
Who can use it: Check clinical suitability, entry requirements and aftercare directly with each provider.
Reported public wait: No official figure available for this route.
- Compare the treatment inclusions and source dates.
- Obtain a personalised written quote and an aftercare plan before booking.
Historical waits do not predict appointments. Unsourced costs and waits are unknown. Prices keep their source currency; dated ECB USD references appear where available.