Concierge gastroenterology · UK
Faecal microbiota transplantation, through the right UK centre.
FMT is a proven treatment for recurrent C. difficile — 85–95 per cent cure rates from a single infusion. We help you get referred to an NHS-commissioned centre, or arrange a private route where appropriate.
Why patients choose us
- 01
A route through the right centre
FMT for recurrent C. difficile is delivered through a small number of NHS-commissioned centres. We help you get referred to the nearest one that is actively treating.
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An honest line on the evidence
FMT is proven for recurrent CDI. For ulcerative colitis, IBS, obesity and autism, the evidence is early — we say so before you spend a penny.
- 03
Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so the recommendation is impartial and costs you nothing.
Indicative pricing
What FMT costs in the UK — NHS and private.
NHS FMT for recurrent C. difficile is free at the point of care. Private and trial routes vary — send the details and we quote firm figures across two or three options.
In short
NHS FMT for recurrent C. difficile: free at the point of care, home the same day.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHS FMT for recurrent C. difficile | NHS-funded | Half-day | Same visit |
| Private colonoscopic FMT (rCDI) | £3,500–£6,500 | Half-day | Same visit |
| Private capsule FMT (rCDI) | £3,000–£5,500 | 1–2 mornings | Same visit |
| Repeat FMT (if first course fails) | £2,500–£5,000 | Half-day | Same visit |
| Clinical trial FMT (UC, IBS, other) | Trial-funded | Varies | Per protocol |
| Consultation only (gastroenterology) | £250–£450 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
Private prices vary by centre, by delivery route (capsules or colonoscopy), by whether sedation is used, and by donor batch availability. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
The problem
The right centre, the right route, the right evidence.
FMT is offered by a small number of UK centres. Patients often get stuck between GPs who have never referred, private clinics offering FMT for indications where the evidence is not there, and unregulated home DIY. We fix all three.
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Recurrent C. difficile?
You may already qualify for NHS-commissioned FMT. We route the referral to the nearest active centre.
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Considering FMT for IBS or UC?
The honest answer is trial-only. We help you find a UK trial that is actually recruiting.
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Tempted to DIY at home?
The MHRA regulates FMT as a medicinal product for a reason. Unscreened donors have killed people. We arrange it properly.
The journey
From enquiry to eight-week clearance — what happens, in order.
One clinician from first message to eight-week stool test — including the monitoring window.
Phase 1 · Before your procedure
Concierge, off-stage for you
Phase 2 · On the day
A few hours at the centre
Phase 3 · After
Concierge, back on
- 01
Before
You tell us what is going on
A short, confidential form. Number of C. difficile recurrences, antibiotics tried, other gut history.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: whether NHS FMT via a commissioned centre is the right route, or whether more antibiotics need to run first.
- 03
Before
Referral and donor matching
Referral to a commissioned FMT centre (Birmingham, Leeds, Portsmouth, Sheffield, King’s, Oxford, Nottingham and others). The centre selects screened, banked donor material.
- 04
On the day
Bowel prep and delivery
For colonoscopic FMT: bowel prep the day before, sedation on the day. For capsules: 15–30 taken over one to two days, no bowel prep needed.
- 05
On the day
The transplant itself
Colonoscopic delivery into the caecum takes 20–40 minutes. Capsule dosing is done in clinic across one or two mornings.
- 06
On the day
Home the same day
A short recovery, written aftercare, and home within a few hours. With sedation you will need someone to collect you.
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After
Eight weeks of monitoring
Symptom diary, stool testing at eight weeks to confirm C. difficile clearance, and a plan if a further FMT is needed.
Typical end-to-end: 3–6 weeks from enquiry to procedure. Clearance testing: 8 weeks post-FMT.
When it helps
When FMT is the right step — and when it is not.
The situations we see most, plus the one red flag that means an emergency rather than an appointment.
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Recurrent C. difficile infection
Two or more recurrences of C. difficile after standard-of-care fidaxomicin or vancomycin — the primary NHS-commissioned indication.
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Refractory C. difficile
C. difficile that has not responded to a full course of fidaxomicin — FMT is considered ahead of prolonged antibiotics.
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C. difficile in the frail or elderly
Repeated CDI in older or immunocompromised patients where each recurrence carries real risk — FMT is often the safest exit route.
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Ulcerative colitis (trial only)
Moderate evidence for induction of remission — but only through a clinical trial or private route. Not NHS-commissioned for UC.
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IBS with post-infective features
Weak-to-moderate evidence for symptom improvement — trial or private only, and only when standard IBS care has failed.
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Investigational indications
Crohn’s disease, hepatic encephalopathy, obesity, metabolic syndrome and autism are all under study — none funded by the NHS outside trial.
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After a positive donor match
FMT is only offered when a fully screened, banked donor stool is available — this is arranged by the commissioned centre, not the patient.
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Red flag: severe or fulminant CDI
Severe C. difficile with sepsis, ileus or toxic megacolon is a surgical emergency — same-day A&E, not an FMT booking.
Delivery routes
Colonoscopy is not the only option.
What each route on the table actually involves — and which fits which patient.
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Colonoscopic FMT
The UK standard for adults. Delivered into the caecum during colonoscopy, with bowel prep and sedation. Best-studied route and allows a full look at the colon.
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Oral capsule FMT
Fifteen to thirty acid-resistant capsules taken over one to two days. No bowel prep, no sedation, and non-inferior to colonoscopic delivery in trials (Kao et al).
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Nasoduodenal / nasojejunal
A thin tube passed through the nose into the upper small bowel. Effective but less popular in the UK due to a small aspiration risk.
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Retention enema
A single retention enema of donor material — used mainly when the disease is distal or when colonoscopy is not tolerated.
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Fresh vs frozen preparation
Frozen, banked stool is now the norm and has equivalent efficacy to fresh (Kelly et al) — this is what allows proper donor screening and quality control.
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Repeat FMT
If a single FMT does not clear recurrent CDI, a second course pushes cure rates towards 95 per cent — worth planning for from the start.
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Trial-based FMT
For ulcerative colitis, IBS, hepatic encephalopathy and metabolic disease, the honest route is a UK clinical trial — we help you find one that is recruiting.
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Consultation only
An honest gastroenterology opinion on whether FMT is the right next step at all — no obligation.
Our vetted UK network
A small panel of gastroenterologists, we picked them.
Consultant gastroenterologists working with NHS-commissioned FMT centres — Birmingham, Leeds, Portsmouth, Sheffield, King’s, Oxford, Nottingham and others. Introductions are made privately, once we understand your case.
Selection criteria
How we choose every gastroenterologist in our network.
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Consultant gastroenterologists with FMT experience, not generalists
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Access to an MHRA-regulated, PHE-compliant donor stool bank
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Colonoscopic and capsule delivery both offered
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Eight-week follow-up with stool testing and symptom review built in
Safety and recovery
What to expect afterwards — honestly.
Properly regulated FMT is a safe day-case procedure. The things worth planning are your delivery route, the eight-week monitoring window, and knowing what is normal after.
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MHRA-regulated medicinal product
Since 2020 the MHRA regulates FMT as a medicinal product in the UK. Donor material must come from a licensed stool bank — not a friend or family member arranged privately.
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Extensive donor screening
Donors are screened by questionnaire, blood tests (HIV, HBV, HCV, syphilis, HTLV, EBV, CMV, strongyloides) and stool tests (C. difficile toxin, ova, parasites, MDR bacteria, norovirus, rotavirus, SARS-CoV-2, mpox risk).
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Donor exclusions are strict
Recent antibiotics, travel, tattoos, high-risk sexual behaviour, chronic GI disease, autoimmune disease, obesity (BMI over 30), metabolic syndrome, cancer and many medications all exclude a donor.
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Short-term side effects
Mild abdominal discomfort, bloating, altered bowel habit, low-grade fever and transient nausea are common in the first 48–72 hours. They usually settle without treatment.
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Serious transmission risk is very rare
With proper screening, transmission of a serious pathogen is very rare. It has occurred — FDA-reported deaths from MDR E. coli in 2019 led directly to today’s enhanced screening.
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Immunosuppression is a relative concern
Severe immunosuppression and active neutropaenia are relative contraindications, and some centres exclude these patients outright. Every case is individually assessed.
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Long-term effects are still under study
The theoretical transfer of metabolic or behavioural traits from donor to recipient is being actively researched. Informed consent covers this openly.
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Eight-week monitoring
You will be reviewed at eight weeks with a stool test to confirm C. difficile clearance, and asked to keep a simple symptom diary in the meantime.
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Red flags
Severe abdominal pain, high fever, bloody diarrhoea, or signs of sepsis after FMT are not normal — call the centre or A&E the same day.
Reading your procedure note
Your FMT note in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whichever route was used, the note the gastroenterologist sends you keeps to the same shape.
A quiet reminder
Procedure language is precise and can read coldly — we translate it for you.
If you would like us to talk you through the note before your review, just ask.
- 01 Header
Indication and delivery route
Why FMT was done — usually recurrent C. difficile — and whether it was delivered by colonoscopy, capsules, tube or enema.
- 02 Technique
Donor batch, dose and prep
The donor bank batch number, the dose infused or ingested, the bowel prep used and the anaesthetic if any.
- 03 Findings
Colonoscopic findings and tolerance
For colonoscopic FMT: what the colon looked like, any incidental findings, and how you tolerated the delivery.
- 04 Impression
Cure plan, retest timing, next steps
Read this first: expected recovery, when to retest for C. difficile, and whether a repeat FMT is planned.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Private cover for FMT varies by insurer and by indication — usually funded for recurrent C. difficile with the right documentation, and rarely funded outside that. We confirm cover before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about faecal microbiota transplantation.
Quick answers on eligibility, cost, delivery routes, donor screening and honest evidence.
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What is faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT)?
FMT is the transfer of processed stool from a rigorously screened donor into the gut of a recipient, to restore a healthy gut microbiome. In the UK it is regulated by the MHRA as a medicinal product and is primarily used to treat recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection that has not responded to standard antibiotics.
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Is FMT available on the NHS?
Yes — for recurrent C. difficile infection after two or more recurrences on fidaxomicin or vancomycin. It is delivered through a small number of NHS-commissioned centres including Birmingham, Leeds, Portsmouth, Sheffield, King’s, Oxford and Nottingham. FMT is not NHS-funded for ulcerative colitis, IBS, Crohn’s, obesity or autism outside clinical trials.
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How effective is FMT for recurrent C. difficile?
A single FMT clears recurrent CDI in roughly 85–95 per cent of patients, compared with about 60 per cent for a further course of antibiotics for a second recurrence (Cammarota et al RCT). A repeat FMT pushes the cure rate towards 95 per cent.
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How is FMT actually delivered?
Four routes exist. Colonoscopy into the caecum is the UK standard and best-studied. Oral capsules (15–30 taken over one to two days) are non-inferior to colonoscopy in trials (Kao et al) and increasingly patient-preferred. Nasoduodenal or nasojejunal tubes are effective but less popular due to aspiration risk. Retention enemas are used for distal disease.
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How are donors screened?
Extensively. A detailed lifestyle questionnaire, then blood tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, HTLV, EBV, CMV and strongyloides, and stool tests for C. difficile toxin, ova, cysts, parasites, multi-drug-resistant bacteria, norovirus, rotavirus, SARS-CoV-2 and mpox risk. Recent antibiotics, travel, tattoos, chronic GI or autoimmune disease, obesity (BMI over 30), metabolic syndrome, cancer and many medications all exclude a donor.
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Fresh or frozen stool — does it matter?
No. Kelly et al showed frozen, banked stool has equivalent efficacy to fresh, and frozen is now the UK norm. It is what allows proper donor screening, batch traceability and MHRA compliance.
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What are the side effects?
Short-term: mild abdominal discomfort, bloating, altered bowel habit, a low-grade fever and transient nausea in the first 48–72 hours, usually settling without treatment. Serious pathogen transmission is very rare with proper screening, but has occurred — the FDA reported deaths from multi-drug-resistant E. coli in 2019, which led to today’s enhanced screening.
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Should I try FMT for IBS, ulcerative colitis or weight loss?
Not outside a trial. The evidence for ulcerative colitis is moderate; for IBS it is weak-to-moderate; for Crohn’s, obesity, metabolic syndrome and autism it is early and investigational. None of these are NHS-commissioned for FMT. If you are keen to try, look for a UK clinical trial — we can help identify one that is recruiting.