Private dilatation and curettage (D&C) cost in the UK: 2026 price guide

A private D&C widens the cervix and scrapes or suctions tissue from the womb lining, used to investigate abnormal bleeding, remove retained tissue or as part of other gynaecological procedures, and now more often replaced by hysteroscopy.

The range in the published self-pay lists for dilatation and curettage (D&C) was £1,774 to £2,977. That spread reflects different hospitals, different variants and different ideas of what belongs in a package, so the table names each one.

Lists are revised from time to time and sit alongside conditions in the small print. The figures help you see where a quote falls, but they cannot replace your own estimate.

Under anaesthetic, the cervix is gently widened and tissue is removed from the womb lining with a curette or suction. The tissue is sent for examination.

Ask whether a hysteroscopy is planned alongside, since a camera view reduces the chance of missing a polyp or fibroid.

A blind scrape of the womb lining can miss polyps and fibroids, so modern practice prefers hysteroscopy, in which the lining is seen directly and abnormal areas can be sampled or removed. Outpatient hysteroscopy often avoids the need for a general anaesthetic.

D&C is still used in some situations, for example to remove retained tissue after a miscarriage. If you are being offered a D&C for investigation of bleeding, it is reasonable to ask whether an outpatient hysteroscopy would be a better, cheaper option.

Two patients having the same operation or test can receive quite different bills. For dilatation and curettage (D&C), these are the factors that most often explain the gap.

• Reason for the procedure: diagnostic scraping versus removal of pregnancy tissue.

• Hysteroscopy at the same time: adding a camera improves accuracy and may add cost.

• Hospital pricing: published prices ranged from £1,774 to £2,977 in the lists we retrieved.

• Anaesthetic type.

• Histology fees.

Ask for the inclusions in writing. For this procedure the usual split between what is covered and what is charged on top looks like this.

Insurers usually cover D&C for medical indications with histology.

Check whether your insurer recognises the exact procedure and the consultant you plan to see, and ask for any excess in writing. Self-funders can usually ask about finance, but terms depend on credit checks and should be read closely.

NHS services increasingly use hysteroscopy rather than D&C for diagnosis, with D&C used for specific indications.

Many people consider private care because of NHS waiting times, but the NHS route costs nothing at the point of use and the 18-week standard applies to non-urgent consultant-led pathways. Local performance varies.

You can go home the same day, with cramping and light bleeding for a few days and a return to normal activity soon after.

The risks below are the ones that can turn a quoted price into a larger bill, so ask how each would be dealt with.

• Infection, bleeding and, rarely, injury to the womb can occur, and a blind scrape may miss areas that hysteroscopy would show.

• Fever, heavy bleeding or severe pain afterwards needs urgent review.

Write the answers down as you go. These are the questions that tend to separate similar-looking quotes for this procedure.

• Is a hysteroscopy included with the D&C?

• Is histology included?

• Why is D&C chosen over outpatient hysteroscopy?

• What anaesthetic is used?

• Is every fee in the quote guaranteed, or could consultant and anaesthetist charges differ from the estimate on the day?