Private platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection cost in the UK: 2026 price guide

A private PRP injection uses a concentrate of your own platelets, prepared from a blood sample, injected into a tendon or joint in the hope of promoting healing, and is offered for tendinopathy and mild arthritis despite limited evidence.

The range in the published self-pay lists for platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection was £593. 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.

A small sample of your blood is spun to concentrate platelets, then injected into the damaged tendon or joint, often under ultrasound. The whole visit can take under an hour.

Ask what results the clinic reports for your condition and what happens if you do not improve, because several injections may be suggested.

Trials of PRP show mixed results: some suggest benefit for tennis elbow and knee osteoarthritis, while others show no advantage over placebo or steroid. Preparation methods vary, which makes studies difficult to compare.

For that reason, many guidelines do not recommend it as routine treatment and clinics offering it should explain its status openly. Asking what proportion of their own patients improve gives a practical sense of its value.

Two patients having the same operation or test can receive quite different bills. For platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection, these are the factors that most often explain the gap.

• Kit and processing: PRP preparation kits and centrifuge time are a main cost.

• Guidance: ultrasound guidance adds clinician time.

• Number of sessions: a course of one to three injections is common, and each is priced.

• Hospital: Nuffield Edinburgh lists PRP treatment at £593.

• Evidence and indication: PRP is not funded by insurers for most conditions.

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 generally do not cover PRP because the evidence base is limited, so most people self-pay.

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.

The NHS does not routinely offer PRP outside research or specific commissioned services.

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 may have soreness for several days, are advised to avoid anti-inflammatories and start graded rehabilitation as directed.

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

• Evidence of benefit is mixed and results are variable, so you may pay for a treatment that does not help; ask for the evidence in your condition.

• Injection risks include pain flare, infection and bleeding.

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

• What evidence supports PRP for my condition?

• How many injections are recommended and what do they cost in total?

• Is ultrasound guidance included?

• What alternative treatments exist?

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