Circle Bath Hospital Is Now Sulis Hospital Bath: 2026 Prices & Guide
Searching for Circle Bath? The hospital was bought by the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Trust in June 2021 and renamed Sulis Hospital Bath — same site, same consultant-led private care, new ownership with a twist: the surplus from private treatment now funds local NHS services. Here’s what changed, what treatment costs in 2026, and how the private, insured and NHS routes work.
Quick Answer
Circle Bath Hospital became Sulis Hospital Bath in June 2021, when the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust bought it from Circle Health Group. It’s the same purpose-built hospital at Foxcote Avenue, Peasedown St John (BA2 8SQ) — still treating private patients, insured and self-pay, with 100% of the surplus from private care reinvested into local NHS services.
It has grown since the rename: the Sulis Orthopaedic Centre, a £25m NHS-funded surgical wing with two additional theatres, launched at the end of 2024, making orthopaedics the site’s stand-out strength for both private and NHS patients.
On this page
What Happened to Circle Bath?
The short timeline:
- 2010: Circle opens the hospital at Peasedown St John as one of the UK’s early purpose-built private hospitals, known for its modern, hotel-style design.
- June 2021: the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust buys the hospital outright from Circle Health Group and renames it Sulis Hospital Bath. It becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of the trust, run by the same on-site team, treating both private and NHS patients.
- March 2024: planning approval lands for a major expansion — the Sulis Orthopaedic Centre.
- December 2024: the new wing launches: two additional operating theatres (with laminar-flow conversions), backed by £25m of national NHS funding, adding capacity for around 3,750 extra NHS orthopaedic operations a year.
Hospital brands change hands more often than people realise — Circle Health Group itself absorbed the former BMI Healthcare hospitals, a story we cover in what happened to BMI Healthcare. The practical point for patients: the building, consultants and care pathways at Peasedown St John carried on; the name over the door and where the profits go are what changed.
What Sulis Hospital Bath Is Now
A private hospital whose profits fund the NHS
This is the genuinely unusual part. Sulis remains a fully functioning independent hospital — consultant-led private care, private en-suite rooms, insured and self-pay patients — but because it’s owned by the RUH trust, 100% of its financial surplus is reinvested into local NHS services. Choosing private treatment at Sulis is one of the few cases where going private directly supports the NHS.
The hospital serves Bath, Bristol, Wiltshire and Somerset from its site just outside Bath, with the biophilic, light-filled design it was built with. And because it has no emergency department, its planned surgery is protected from the cancellations that emergency surges cause at acute hospitals — the same reason the NHS chose it as a regional elective hub. For how it fits alongside the city’s other option, see our guide to private hospitals in Bath, and Bristol’s hospitals for the wider region.
Treatments & Services
Orthopaedics leads. With the Sulis Orthopaedic Centre’s additional theatres, joint surgery is the site’s flagship — hip and knee replacement, shoulder, hand and wrist, and sports injuries. Our national guides cover the costs and decisions: private hip replacement and private knee surgery.
Beyond orthopaedics, the private caseload covers the classic time-saving pathways:
- General surgery — hernia repair, gallbladder removal, lumps and bumps.
- Ophthalmology — cataract surgery on fixed-price packages.
- ENT — tonsillectomy, sinus surgery, hearing assessments; see private ENT specialists.
- Gynaecology and urology — consultant access without the wait; see private gynaecologists.
- Dermatology — mole checks and skin lesion treatment; see private dermatology costs.
- Diagnostics — MRI, CT, ultrasound, X-ray and blood tests on site, with same-day and same-week availability the main draw; whether insurance funds them is covered in does insurance cover diagnostics.
Private Treatment Prices at Sulis Hospital Bath (2026)
Exact pricing depends on the consultant, complexity and what the package includes — realistic ranges:
| Service | Typical private cost | What affects price |
|---|---|---|
| Initial consultation | £150–350 | Specialty and consultant |
| Ultrasound | £120–240 | Area and complexity |
| MRI (single area) | £350–900 | Body part, contrast, reporting |
| CT scan (single area) | £400–900 | Area and protocol; referral always required |
| Cataract surgery (per eye) | £2,500–3,500 | Lens type and package inclusions |
| Hip replacement | £11,000–17,000 | Prosthesis, package design, aftercare |
| Knee replacement | £13,000–18,000 | Check whether physio is bundled |
Sulis offers fixed-price packages and 0% APR payment plans over up to 24 months — the financing options market-wide are covered in our guide to interest-free credit for private healthcare. For national comparison, see the UK private hospital price list and private surgery costs.
The pricing question that matters
Always confirm in writing whether the quoted figure includes consultant and anaesthetist fees, pre-op diagnostics, follow-up appointments and any defined treatment of complications. Two similar headline prices can describe very different amounts of care.
Using Health Insurance at Sulis
Sulis treats insured patients and is recognised by the main UK health insurers — but recognition is always plan-specific. Before anything is booked:
- Check Sulis Hospital Bath is on your policy’s hospital list.
- Confirm your consultant is recognised by the insurer.
- Get a pre-authorisation for the consultation, scan or procedure — booking first and claiming after is the classic mistake.
Comparing insurers on cover rather than brand is what our honest reviews of the main UK insurers are for — and the constant everywhere: insurance covers new conditions that arise after joining; pre-existing conditions and routine screening are never covered.
The NHS Routes Into Sulis
Unusually for an independent hospital, there are formal NHS pathways — free at the point of delivery:
- NHS e-Referral: when a GP refers you, Sulis can be chosen as your hospital through the NHS website or app.
- RUH elective pathway: orthopaedic patients at the RUH can be transferred to Sulis for their surgery, with an RUH surgeon operating.
- Transferring existing care: current NHS care can be moved to Sulis by arrangement.
No A&E on site
Sulis is a planned-care hospital with no emergency department — that’s precisely why its surgery lists are protected from emergency-surge cancellations. In an emergency call 999 or go to an NHS A&E; Bath’s emergency department is at the Royal United Hospital, Combe Park. The wider picture is in do private hospitals offer emergency care.
How to Book
- Decide the route: self-pay, insured, or NHS referral.
- Self-pay: book a consultation directly and request the written fixed-price package. Insured: referral + pre-authorisation first — the referral routes are in do you need a GP referral for private treatment.
- Confirm what’s included — consultant fees, anaesthetist, diagnostics, follow-ups, physio.
FAQs: Circle Bath / Sulis Hospital Bath (2026)
What happened to Circle Bath Hospital?
The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust bought Circle Bath from Circle Health Group in June 2021 and renamed it Sulis Hospital Bath. It is the same hospital on the same site at Foxcote Avenue, Peasedown St John — now wholly owned by the NHS trust as a subsidiary, treating both private and NHS patients, with any surplus from private care reinvested into local NHS services.
Is Circle Bath Hospital still open?
Yes — but under its new name, Sulis Hospital Bath. It operates as a fully functioning independent hospital offering consultant-led private care alongside NHS elective work, and it has grown since the rename: the Sulis Orthopaedic Centre, a new surgical wing backed by £25m of national NHS funding, launched at the end of 2024, adding two more theatres.
How much does private treatment cost at Sulis Hospital Bath?
Typical private prices: initial consultation £150–350, ultrasound £120–240, MRI £350–900, CT £400–900, cataract surgery £2,500–3,500 per eye, hip replacement £11,000–17,000 and knee replacement £13,000–18,000. Sulis offers fixed-price packages and 0% APR payment plans over up to 24 months — always confirm in writing exactly what a package includes.
Can NHS patients be treated at Sulis Hospital Bath?
Yes — unusually for an independent hospital, there are formal NHS routes: choosing Sulis through NHS e-Referral when a GP refers you, transfer through the RUH’s elective orthopaedic pathway, or moving existing NHS care to Sulis. NHS treatment there is free at the point of delivery, and the Sulis Orthopaedic Centre exists specifically to add NHS elective surgical capacity for the region.
Does health insurance cover treatment at Sulis Hospital Bath?
Sulis treats insured patients and is recognised by the main UK health insurers — but recognition is plan-specific, so the essentials are checking the hospital is on your policy’s hospital list, confirming your consultant is recognised, and getting the insurer’s pre-authorisation before any consultation, scan or procedure is booked.
Do I need a GP referral for Sulis Hospital Bath?
For insured treatment, yes — insurers require a referral plus pre-authorisation. Self-pay patients can often book consultations directly, though a referral is still needed for some investigations, and CT or MRI with contrast always requires one. NHS treatment at Sulis runs through the normal NHS referral routes.
Important Information
This 2026 guide is general information, not medical or financial advice. Hospital ownership, services, consultant availability and package inclusions change and are reviewed periodically — always confirm current details directly with Sulis Hospital Bath and your insurer before booking. In an emergency call 999; NHS 111 is available for urgent concerns. If you compare private health insurance quotes through this site, we may receive a commission from our FCA-regulated partners at no cost to you; this does not influence our guides.
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