CT colonography cost in the UK: what you pay privately (2026)

A private CT colonography, sometimes called a virtual colonoscopy, uses CT with bowel preparation and gas to look for polyps and cancers in the large bowel without passing a camera, and is an option when colonoscopy is unsuitable or declined.

Hospital price pages give a first idea of scale. The CT colonography entries we retrieved sat between £525 to £650; the rows below show which hospital and which variant each figure refers to.

None of these numbers is an offer to treat. Providers confirm a final price after assessment, and consultant or anaesthetist fees may be set separately.

A single guide figure for CT colonography can mislead, because the final amount depends on factors like these.

• Bowel preparation and tagging agents: the clear-liquid diet and laxatives are usually bought or supplied separately and some centres use oral contrast to tag stool.

• Whether intravenous contrast is used: it is not always needed, but can be added for staging questions, which raises the price.

• Reporting by a trained colonography reader, which fewer radiologists provide, can affect fee and turnaround.

• What follows a finding: if a polyp is seen, a colonoscopy is needed to remove it, so patients may pay for two procedures.

• The hospital: published one-part CT prices vary by hundreds of pounds, and a colonography protocol can sit above that headline figure.

Providers define a package differently, so two quotes are only comparable once you line up what each covers. The table lists what is typically in and what is often billed separately for this procedure.

Insurers usually cover CT colonography when a gastroenterologist or GP refers you for symptoms or a clinical reason, and may query it as an alternative to colonoscopy. Check whether bowel preparation is covered.

Insurers often agree a procedure code and a fee ceiling in advance. Self-pay patients should ask whether instalment finance is offered and what the total repayable would be, as the representative rate and terms differ by lender.

NHS bowel investigations include colonoscopy and CT colonography, which is used for people who cannot or do not wish to undergo colonoscopy. Urgent suspected-cancer referrals aim for diagnosis within the 28-day standard.

NHS care is free at the point of use, and for non-urgent consultant-led treatment the standard is 18 weeks from referral. You also have the right to choose where you are referred in England. Local waits differ, so ask what applies near you.

The bowel preparation the day before is the hardest part, and you may feel bloated for a short time after the scan. There is no sedation, so most people return to normal activity straight away.

No one plans for things to go wrong, but a short conversation about extra costs now can save difficulty later.

• If the scan finds a polyp or suspicious area, a colonoscopy is still needed, so a patient who chose CT to avoid the camera may end up having both.

• Rectal bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habit or unexplained weight loss need prompt GP assessment, since they may follow the urgent cancer pathway.

Quotes only compare fairly when they cover the same things. Put these questions to every provider you approach.

• Is bowel preparation included, and which type is used?

• If a polyp is found, how does the cost of colonoscopy work?

• Does the price include a specialist colonography report?

• Is intravenous contrast part of the standard protocol?

• Will I receive one price covering the hospital, the consultant and the anaesthetic, or several bills from different parties?