General surgery · Wells
Hernia repair in Wells: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£3,449
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet, Shepton Mallet · 4.2 miles away
Typical price
£4,006
The middle of 6 published hernia repair prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait so far
12 weeks
Half the people on the general surgery list at Somerset 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 Wells
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Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet · 4.2 miles away
£3,449Inguinal hernia repair surgery
What’s included: A fixed treatment price. The first consultation costs £145 on top; Practice Plus says that includes a nurse assessment, any blood tests and swabs needed, and an X-ray if required.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Not included £145 (charged separately) -
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Emersons Green
Bristol · 22 miles away
£3,449Inguinal hernia repair surgery
What’s included: A fixed treatment price. The first consultation costs £145 on top; Practice Plus says that includes a nurse assessment, any blood tests and swabs needed, and an X-ray if required.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Practice Plus Group Hospital, Emersons Green Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Not included £145 (charged separately) -
Spire Bristol Hospital
Bristol · 18 miles away
from£3,753Hernia 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 £236 on top.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Spire Bristol Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £236 Treatment Included from £3,517 Aftercare Included Included -
Nuffield Health Taunton Hospital
Taunton · 24 miles away
£4,260Hernia 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 Taunton Hospital Stage In the price? As published Diagnostic Investigations Not included Charged separately Main treatment Included £4,260 -
Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital - The Chesterfield
Bristol · 17 miles away
£4,310Hernia 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 Bristol Hospital - The Chesterfield Stage In the price? As published Diagnostic Investigations Not included Charged separately Main treatment Included £4,310 -
Nuffield Health Taunton Hospital
Taunton · 24 miles away
£5,139Hernia Repair - Groin Inguinal - Laparoscopic
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 Taunton Hospital Stage In the price? As published Diagnostic Investigations Not included Charged separately Main treatment Included £5,139
Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of Wells.
Hospital by hospital
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet, Shepton Mallet, 4.2 miles away (Practice Plus Group; CQC Good, report June 2023). Hernia repair £3,449, the lowest locally.
Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital - The Chesterfield, Bristol, 17 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report September 2026). Hernia repair £4,310 (tests before treatment not included), £861 above the local lowest.
Spire Bristol Hospital, Bristol, 18 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report June 2022). Hernia repair from £3,753 (first consultation £236 included; aftercare included), £304 above the local lowest.
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Emersons Green, Bristol, 22 miles away (Practice Plus Group; CQC Good, report October 2026). Hernia repair £3,449, the lowest locally.
Nuffield Health Taunton Hospital, Taunton, 24 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report November 2016). Hernia repair £4,260 (Hernia Repair - Groin Inguinal - Open Surgery) or £5,139 (Hernia Repair - Groin Inguinal - Laparoscopic) (tests before treatment not included), £811 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
Hernia repair: 6 local prices span £1,690, from £3,449 to £5,139; the UK median across 101 published prices is £4,011.
Within 5 miles of central Wells: Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet (4.2 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Wells: Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital - The Chesterfield (17 miles), Spire Bristol Hospital (18 miles), Practice Plus Group Hospital, Emersons Green (22 miles) and Nuffield Health Taunton Hospital (24 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 £3,449 to £5,139 at 5 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. Somerset: half had waited over 12 weeks; 9 in 10 within 40 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 Wells
| NHS trust | Median wait | Under 18 weeks | Over a year | 9 in 10 within | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset NHS Foundation Trust | 12.2 wks | 62.7% | 65 | 40 wks | 2,627 |
| England | 12.8 wks | 63.2% | 8,213 | 42 wks | 384,914 |
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, 24 miles from Wells: 2,627 people on the general surgery list, 62.7% within 18 weeks, 65 over a year, nine in ten within 40 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: Somerset NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 13 independent hospitals registered with the CQC to do surgery within 19 miles: 1 outstanding, 9 good, 3 not yet rated. 3 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 12 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet | 4.2 miles | Good | Yes |
| Sulis Bath Hospital Limited | 12 miles | Good | No |
| Independent Health Group Limited | 13 miles | Outstanding | No |
| Somerset Surgical Services | 16 miles | Good | No |
| 58 Queen Square | 17 miles | Good | No |
| Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital - The Chesterfield | 17 miles | Good | Yes |
| The Whiteley Clinic Bristol | 17 miles | Good | No |
| Harley Health Village Bristol | 17 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Newmedica Community Ophthalmology Service | 17 miles | Good | No |
| ACES Bristol Hospital | 17 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Optical Express - Bristol Hospital | 17 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Bath Clinic | 18 miles | Good | No |
And 1 more within 19 miles on the register.
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital - The Chesterfield and Nuffield Health Taunton Hospital what tests before treatment would cost: their published breakdown lists them as not included.
- Ask whether the quote is for open or keyhole repair, and for one side or both.
Nearby
Hernia repair in nearby places
- Bath 17 miles
- Salisbury 38 miles
- Bournemouth 47 miles
- Worcester 71 miles
- Portsmouth 74 miles
- Reading 75 miles
- Chichester 85 miles
- Birmingham 94 miles
Other treatments near Wells
This page also covers 1 nearby place with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Shepton Mallet.
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: Somerset 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.