General surgery · Colchester
Hernia repair in Colchester: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
from£4,012
Spire Wellesley Hospital, Southend-on-Sea · 25 miles away
NHS wait so far
16 weeks
Half the people on the general surgery list at East Suffolk and North Essex had waited longer than this (August 2026).
Time waited so far by everyone on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Colchester
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Spire Wellesley Hospital
Southend-on-Sea · 25 miles away
from£4,012Hernia repair - groin (Inguinal) - open surgery
What’s included: Spire’s fixed self-pay package. Spire says it covers tests before your operation, the surgeon’s and anaesthetist’s fees, nursing, medicines and food during your stay, and any standard implant, plus aftercare: follow-up appointments, stitches, dressings and up to 14 days of medicines. The first consultation is £187 on top.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Spire Wellesley Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £187 Treatment Included from £3,825 Aftercare Included Included -
Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital
Ipswich · 18 miles away
£4,539Hernia Repair - Groin Inguinal - Open Surgery
What’s included: Nuffield’s guide price for the treatment. Nuffield says tests before treatment are charged separately, and you get a fixed, all-inclusive price after your first consultation.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital Stage In the price? As published Diagnostic Investigations Not included Charged separately Main treatment Included £4,539
Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of Colchester.
Hospital by hospital
Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital, Ipswich, 18 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report November 2016). Hernia repair £4,539 (tests before treatment not included), £527 above the local lowest.
Spire Wellesley Hospital, Southend-on-Sea, 25 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report October 2026). Hernia repair from £4,012 (first consultation £187 included; aftercare included), the lowest locally.
How the prices compare
Hernia repair: 2 local prices span £527, from £4,012 to £4,539; the UK median across 101 published prices is £4,011. The nearest, Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital, is £527 dearer than the cheapest.
10 to 25 miles of central Colchester: Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital (18 miles) and Spire Wellesley Hospital (25 miles).
Typical for hernia repair: often a day case.
Tip: count the journeys for the consultation, the procedure and follow-up when weighing a cheaper hospital further away.
Private or NHS?
- Cost. hernia repair £4,012 to £4,539 at 2 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. East Suffolk and North Essex: half had waited over 16 weeks; 9 in 10 within 42 weeks. England: 13 weeks.
Private hospitals usually ask for a referral letter or a consultation first. Not sure which is right for you? Your GP can refer you on the NHS and talk through your options.
The NHS wait near Colchester
| NHS trust | Median wait | Under 18 weeks | Over a year | 9 in 10 within | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust | 15.8 wks | 54.9% | 53 | 42 wks | 6,962 |
| Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust | 16.2 wks | 52.9% | 895 | 56 wks | 9,158 |
| England | 12.8 wks | 63.2% | 8,213 | 42 wks | 384,914 |
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 1.2 miles from Colchester: 6,962 people on the general surgery list, 54.9% within 18 weeks, 53 over a year, nine in ten within 42 weeks.
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 25 miles from Colchester: 9,158 people on the general surgery list, 52.9% within 18 weeks, 895 over a year, nine in ten within 56 weeks.
These figures cover everyone on the trust’s general surgery list, not only people waiting for a hernia repair, and describe time waited so far, not how long a new referral will take.
Source: NHS England, Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times, August 2026 data, published 8 October 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Month-by-month figures: East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 11 independent hospitals registered with the CQC to do surgery within 22 miles: 5 good, 6 not yet rated. 1 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 11 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oaks Hospital | 1.1 miles | Good | No |
| SpaMedica Colchester | 2.3 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Maldon Eye Clinic | 15 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital | 18 miles | Good | Yes |
| Woodford Medical Limited - The Old Forge | 19 miles | Good | No |
| Springfield Hospital | 20 miles | Good | No |
| Phoenix Hospital Chelmsford | 21 miles | Good | No |
| ACES Chelmsford Hospital | 21 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| The Surgical Consortium Ltd | 21 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| MDCG Office | 21 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| SpaMedica Chelmsford | 22 miles | Not yet rated | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital what tests before treatment would cost: its published breakdown lists them as not included.
- For hernia repair, weigh Spire Wellesley Hospital (25 miles) against Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital (18 miles): the £527 saving comes with a longer trip, so ask each how many follow-up visits are included.
- Ask whether the quote is for open or keyhole repair, and for one side or both.
Nearby
Hernia repair in nearby places
- Canterbury 43 miles
- Ely 44 miles
- London 52 miles
- Norwich 54 miles
- Luton 57 miles
- Peterborough 68 miles
- Crawley 71 miles
- Reading 86 miles
Other treatments near Colchester
This page also covers 4 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Brightlingsea, Berechurch, Wivenhoe, Jaywick.
Where these figures come from
Prices: from each hospital’s own price page and breakdown on the date shown next to each price. We store the price, what the page says it includes, the link and the date.
Each hospital group describes its prices differently (guide prices, fixed packages or “from” prices), so read what’s included before comparing totals.
Clinic details and ratings: CQC register (HSCA Active Locations, downloaded 9 November 2026), Open Government Licence v3.0. A rating describes the whole location, not one treatment.
Source: NHS England, Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times, August 2026 data, published 8 October 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Month-by-month figures: East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Typical price is the middle (median) of the published prices within 25 miles, shown only when there are at least four.
Independent. We’re not part of the NHS or any hospital, we’re not clinicians, and nothing here is medical advice. Hospitals can’t pay to appear or to change their position.