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

A private CT sinus scan images the nasal passages and sinuses in fine detail, and is used for chronic sinusitis, recurrent infections, nasal polyps and before sinus or nasal surgery.

Some private hospitals post guide prices for common procedures. For CT sinus scan the entries we found ran from £609 to £875. Each row below is a published figure from the named provider, and the label shows the exact variant it priced.

Hospitals update these lists, and a guide price is not a quote. Treat the figures as a way to see the scale of the bill, then compare against a written estimate for your own case.

You lie on the CT table with your head supported while the scanner takes images of the nose and sinuses. There is rarely any injection, and the scan takes only a few minutes. You can usually resume normal activities straight afterwards.

ENT surgeons often use the images as a map for surgery, so a report that names the anatomy and any variations is more useful than a simple description. Ask whether the images will be sent directly to an ENT clinic you plan to see.

Price differences for CT sinus scan usually come down to a handful of choices and circumstances, set out here.

• Whether it is booked with an ENT consultation: many ENT surgeons request CT before offering surgery, so the scan is bundled or billed alongside the clinic fee.

• Low-dose or cone-beam protocols: some centres use cone-beam CT, which can change the price and the detail available.

• The hospital: published one-part CT prices vary widely by site.

• Reporting: ENT-focused radiologists may read these scans, with turnaround differences.

• Follow-up decisions: a scan showing blocked sinuses often leads to a surgical quote.

The same label can mean different things at different hospitals. Use this table as a checklist when you read an estimate.

Insurers usually authorise sinus CT on ENT referral, especially before surgery. Check that the consultant and the scan are both within your benefit limits.

Policies differ on outpatient and inpatient cover, so the same procedure can be fully, partly or not covered. If you pay yourself, ask what is guaranteed in the price and whether instalment plans carry interest.

NHS ENT teams usually try medical treatment first, and CT is used when symptoms persist or surgery is considered. Waiting times for ENT vary by trust.

The NHS pathway runs through your GP and a consultant-led service, with an 18-week referral-to-treatment standard for non-urgent care. If a wait looks likely to exceed that, you can ask your commissioner about alternatives.

No recovery is needed after the scan. If surgery follows, the cost of the operation, anaesthetic and aftercare is quoted separately.

Most people have an uneventful experience, but it helps to know how a problem would be handled financially.

• CT can show sinus changes in people without symptoms, so a scan alone should not drive surgery; interpretation with symptoms matters.

• Swelling around the eye, severe headache with fever, or double vision need urgent assessment and may be an emergency.

To compare like with like, request the same details from every provider. For this procedure the useful questions are below.

• Is the scan reported with a view to surgical planning?

• Is an ENT consultation included or separate?

• Does the quote include cone-beam or standard CT?

• What would sinus surgery cost if advised?

• Does the quote itemise the hospital, consultant and anaesthetic charges, and which of them could still change?