How much does Mohs micrographic surgery cost privately in the UK? (2026)

Private Mohs surgery removes skin cancer layer by layer, with each layer examined under the microscope on the day until no cancer remains, and is used for cancers in cosmetically or functionally sensitive sites such as the nose, eyelid and ear, or for recurrent tumours.

A verified, published price for Mohs micrographic surgery was not available to us, so we have left numbers out instead of estimating. The factors and questions below will help you read any quote you are given.

The visible cancer is removed with a thin margin, mapped and processed in a laboratory on site while you wait. If cancer remains at the edges, another layer is taken, and the cycle repeats until clear.

Ask whether reconstruction is part of the quote and who will perform it, because the final repair can be a major part of cost and result.

Several things move the cost of Mohs micrographic surgery up or down. These are the ones worth asking about first.

• Number of stages: each layer needs removal, tissue processing and microscope review, so a larger cancer means more stages and a longer day.

• Reconstruction: after the cancer is cleared a flap or graft may be needed, often by the same or a different surgeon.

• Specialist team: Mohs requires trained surgeons and on-site laboratory staff, so few units provide it privately.

• Site and size of the tumour.

• Pathology processing is built into the procedure rather than sent away.

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 usually cover Mohs surgery for appropriate sites and tumour types with prior authorisation, and may or may not include reconstruction.

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.

The NHS offers Mohs surgery in specialist centres for suitable cancers, usually via dermatology or plastic surgery referral.

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.

Wound care and stitch removal follow within days to weeks, and a flap or graft may need a longer healing period and further visits.

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

• Healing can leave a larger defect than expected, since the aim is to clear all cancer, and reconstruction can add significantly to cost and recovery time.

• Not every skin cancer needs Mohs, and a standard excision may be quicker and cheaper for many tumours, so ask why Mohs is advised.

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

• Why is Mohs recommended rather than standard excision?

• Is the price capped regardless of stages?

• Is reconstruction included?

• Who performs the reconstruction?

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