How much does a carotid ultrasound scan cost privately in the UK? (2026)

A private carotid ultrasound images the arteries in the neck that supply the brain, looking for narrowing or plaque, and is used after a transient ischaemic attack, for a neck bruit or as part of cardiovascular risk assessment.

We looked at the self-pay price lists several hospital groups make public. For carotid ultrasound scan, the figures ran from £290 to £336, and the table gives each one with the hospital and the exact item named in its list.

A guide price can move after assessment, for example if your consultant recommends a different variant. Always ask for the final figure in writing before agreeing.

You lie on your back with the head turned slightly while the sonographer scans along the neck on each side, measuring plaque and the speed of blood flow. The scan checks both the common and internal carotid arteries.

The report grades any narrowing, and a clinician uses it with your symptoms and risk factors to decide on medication or further imaging. Ask who will interpret it for you.

Several things move the cost of carotid ultrasound scan up or down. These are the ones worth asking about first.

• Reason for the scan: a symptomatic assessment after a TIA is urgent and belongs on the NHS stroke pathway, whereas a screening scan is a private choice.

• Vascular scientist reporting: a detailed report with percentage narrowing is priced above a basic scan.

• Combined with other tests: packages may add an ECG, echocardiogram and blood tests.

• The provider: published ultrasound prices vary.

• Follow-up: findings may lead to cardiology or vascular consultations and treatment.

Quotes rarely list everything, so it helps to know what to look for. The table sets out typical inclusions and extras for this procedure.

Insurers normally cover a carotid scan when requested after symptoms, but not screening in the absence of risk factors.

If you are using insurance, get pre-authorisation in writing before treatment and ask which fees your policy limits could leave uncovered. If you are paying yourself, some hospital groups offer medical finance subject to status; check the rate, term and total repayable before agreeing.

After a suspected TIA the NHS aims to assess patients rapidly, including carotid imaging; screening of healthy people is not offered.

In England the NHS aims to start non-urgent consultant-led treatment within 18 weeks of referral, and patients can ask to be offered alternative providers if that is likely to be exceeded. Actual waits vary by trust and specialty.

No recovery. Costs that follow depend on whether treatment such as medication or surgery is advised.

Few people need more than the planned care, but the cost position if they do is worth settling before treatment.

• Sudden weakness, facial droop, speech difficulty or visual loss is a stroke or TIA and needs 999 immediately; do not wait for a scan appointment.

• A scan in someone without symptoms can show mild plaque that leads to repeat monitoring and anxiety, so discuss what you would do with the result.

When you have two or three estimates, these questions help you see which is genuinely the better value.

• Does the price cover both sides and a graded report?

• Who interprets the result with me?

• Is this scan appropriate for me without symptoms?

• What further tests might follow?

• Are professional fees and hospital charges shown as separate lines, and is the total a firm figure or an estimate?