How much does coronary angioplasty and stent (PCI) cost privately in the UK? (2026)

A private coronary angioplasty widens a narrowed heart artery with a balloon and usually places a stent, and is performed for angina or after a heart attack when medicines are not enough or the blockage is severe.

We looked at the self-pay price lists several hospital groups make public. For coronary angioplasty and stent (PCI), the figures ran from £11,065, 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.

The procedure starts like an angiogram, with a catheter passed to the narrowed artery and a balloon inflated to open it, then a stent placed to hold it open. You are awake and may feel chest pressure briefly as the balloon inflates.

You are given antiplatelet tablets for a set period afterwards. Ask whether these and your follow-up visits are included, and what happens if you later need another procedure.

Several things move the cost of coronary angioplasty and stent (PCI) up or down. These are the ones worth asking about first.

• Number and complexity of stents: more vessels, long lesions and calcified arteries need more equipment and time.

• Stent and device type: drug-eluting stents, balloons and imaging catheters vary in cost.

• Length of stay: an overnight or longer stay adds to the hospital fee.

• Emergency versus planned: a heart attack is an NHS emergency, while elective private treatment is for stable disease.

• Provider: Duchy lists PCI at a price well above diagnostic angiography.

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 planned PCI after authorisation, and details such as stent type and ward stay should be confirmed in advance.

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.

NHS PCI is delivered in specialist centres, with primary PCI for heart attacks available 24 hours a day, and planned PCI for stable angina after assessment.

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.

Most people go home within a day or two and avoid heavy exertion for a short period; dual antiplatelet tablets after a stent are an ongoing cost to factor in.

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

• Complications such as bleeding, contrast kidney injury or the need for emergency surgery are uncommon but can add major cost; check what the provider covers.

• Heart attack symptoms need 999. Emergency PCI is done on the NHS without charge.

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

• How many stents does the price cover?

• Is an overnight stay and follow-up included?

• Is the diagnostic angiogram included in the same price?

• What are the consultant and anaesthetist fees?

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