Oesophageal pH and manometry testing cost in the UK: what you pay privately (2026)

Private oesophageal pH and manometry tests measure how acid reaches the gullet and how well it squeezes, using a thin tube or a small capsule, and help decide whether reflux or a swallowing disorder is the cause of symptoms, particularly before anti-reflux surgery.

No dependable public price list for oesophageal pH and manometry testing turned up when we checked, so no figure is given here rather than a guess. What is useful is knowing what builds the price and what to ask each provider.

For manometry, a thin tube is passed through the nose into the gullet and you swallow sips of water while pressures are recorded. For pH monitoring, a capsule is attached during gastroscopy or a probe is placed and you record meals, symptoms and lying down.

The results show whether acid exposure is abnormal and whether symptoms match reflux episodes. Ask who will interpret them with you, since surgery or medication decisions often rest on them.

Price differences for oesophageal pH and manometry testing usually come down to a handful of choices and circumstances, set out here.

• Which test: manometry, a pH capsule such as Bravo and 24-hour tube-based monitoring are different tests with different equipment.

• Duration: day-long monitoring takes more staff time and data analysis.

• Specialist unit: only some hospitals have physiology services for these tests.

• Analysis and report: expert interpretation of long recordings.

• Gastroenterology or surgical consultation: usually part of the pathway.

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

Insurers usually cover these tests on gastroenterology referral, especially before anti-reflux surgery.

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 oesophageal physiology tests are available in specialist units, usually after endoscopy, with waits varying.

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.

You may keep a diary and avoid certain medicines and foods during monitoring, with no recovery needed afterwards.

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

• A capsule may detach early or fail to record, requiring repeat testing, and the tests can be uncomfortable.

• Chest pain can have a cardiac cause, so new chest pain should be assessed medically and not assumed to be reflux.

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

• Which tests are quoted, and are they combined?

• Does the price include a gastroscopy if needed to place the capsule?

• Who interprets the results?

• Do I need to stop acid medicines beforehand?

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