General surgery · Ely
Hernia repair in Ely: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£2,752
St Edmunds Hospital, Bury St Edmunds · 22 miles away
Typical price
£3,824
The middle of 4 published hernia repair prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait so far
17 weeks
Half the people on the general surgery list at Cambridge University Hospitals 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 Ely
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St Edmunds Hospital
Bury St Edmunds · 22 miles away
£2,752Primary Repair of Inguinal Hernia (local anaesthetic)
What’s included: Circle’s guide price. Circle says it covers your first consultation, the operation and care after you go home (first consultation £200). Not included: tests before treatment. Circle confirms the final price after your consultation.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, St Edmunds Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £200 Diagnostic Investigations Not included not included Main treatment Included £2,552 · Included Post discharge care Included Included · Included -
St Edmunds Hospital
Bury St Edmunds · 22 miles away
£3,400Primary Repair of Inguinal Hernia (general anaesthetic)
What’s included: Circle’s guide price. Circle says it covers your first consultation, the operation and care after you go home (first consultation £200). Not included: tests before treatment. Circle confirms the final price after your consultation.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, St Edmunds Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £200 Diagnostic Investigations Not included not included Main treatment Included £3,200 · Included Post discharge care Included Included · Included -
Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital
Cambridge · 12 miles away
from£4,247Hernia 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 £260 on top.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £260 Treatment Included from £3,987 Aftercare Included Included -
Nuffield Health Cambridge Hospital
Cambridge · 16 miles away
£5,160Hernia 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 Cambridge Hospital Stage In the price? As published Diagnostic Investigations Not included Charged separately Main treatment Included £5,160
Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of Ely.
Hospital by hospital
Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital, Cambridge, 12 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report August 2026). Hernia repair from £4,247 (first consultation £260 included; aftercare included), £1,495 above the local lowest.
Nuffield Health Cambridge Hospital, Cambridge, 16 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Outstanding, report November 2016). Hernia repair £5,160 (tests before treatment not included), £2,408 above the local lowest.
St Edmunds Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, 22 miles away (Circle Health Group; CQC Good, report March 2019). Hernia repair £2,752 (Primary Repair of Inguinal Hernia (local anaesthetic)) or £3,400 (Primary Repair of Inguinal Hernia (general anaesthetic)) (first consultation £200 included; tests before treatment not included; aftercare included), the lowest locally.
How the prices compare
Hernia repair: 4 local prices span £2,408, from £2,752 to £5,160; the UK median across 101 published prices is £4,011. The nearest, Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital, is £1,495 dearer than the cheapest.
10 to 25 miles of central Ely: Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital (12 miles), Nuffield Health Cambridge Hospital (16 miles) and St Edmunds Hospital (22 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 £2,752 to £5,160 at 3 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. Cambridge University Hospitals: half had waited over 17 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 Ely
| NHS trust | Median wait | Under 18 weeks | Over a year | 9 in 10 within | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 16.9 wks | 52.6% | 21 | 42 wks | 1,616 |
| North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust | 13.1 wks | 62.5% | 19 | 39 wks | 6,130 |
| England | 12.8 wks | 63.2% | 8,213 | 42 wks | 384,914 |
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 16 miles from Ely: 1,616 people on the general surgery list, 52.6% within 18 weeks, 21 over a year, nine in ten within 42 weeks.
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, 26 miles from Ely: 6,130 people on the general surgery list, 62.5% within 18 weeks, 19 over a year, nine in ten within 39 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: Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 6 independent hospitals registered with the CQC to do surgery within 19 miles: 1 outstanding, 3 good, 2 not yet rated. 2 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 6 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital | 12 miles | Good | Yes |
| SpaMedica Cambridge | 14 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| ACES Cambridge Hospital | 15 miles | Good | No |
| Nuffield Health Cambridge Hospital | 16 miles | Outstanding | Yes |
| ACES Cromwell Road Hospital | 18 miles | Good | No |
| Optical Express Wisbech Clinic | 18 miles | Not yet rated | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Nuffield Health Cambridge Hospital and St Edmunds Hospital what tests before treatment would cost: their published breakdown lists them as not included.
- For hernia repair, weigh St Edmunds Hospital (22 miles) against Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital (12 miles): the £1,495 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
- Peterborough 25 miles
- Colchester 44 miles
- Luton 45 miles
- Norwich 46 miles
- Leicester 61 miles
- London 64 miles
- Nottingham 72 miles
- Derby 81 miles
Other treatments near Ely
This page also covers 2 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: King's Lynn, Littleport.
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: Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, North West Anglia 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.