The main private hospitals serving Surrey include Nuffield Health Woking Hospital and Nuffield Health Guildford Hospital; three Circle Health Group hospitals — Mount Alvernia in Guildford, Ashtead Hospital near Epsom, and The Runnymede in Chertsey; and Spire Clare Park near Farnham. They cluster mainly around Guildford, Woking, Epsom and Chertsey, and many patients also reach London and Hampshire hospitals. Which is best depends on your consultant, procedure, travel and insurer, not just the nearest postcode.

Costs are similar to the wider UK: a private MRI is roughly £350 to £900, a private GP consultation around £80 to £150, cataract surgery about £2,500 to £4,000 per eye, and hip replacement roughly £11,000 to £15,000. Prices vary by hospital, consultant, implants and what’s included, so always get a written, itemised quote. If you expect a full pathway of consultations, scans and treatment, insurance can work out better value than repeated self-pay.

Not always. Many diagnostic and self-pay services accept self-referral, so you can book directly. However, insurance-funded treatment almost always needs a GP or consultant referral plus pre-authorisation from your insurer. A referral is good practice anyway, as it ensures the right specialist sees you and keeps your records joined up. If you don’t have one, a private GP can usually arrange a referral quickly.

The main local comparisons are Guildford, Woking and Epsom, each with dedicated hospital options. Guildford has Mount Alvernia and Nuffield Guildford; Woking has Nuffield Woking; the Epsom area is served by Ashtead; and Chertsey has The Runnymede. Because consultants often work across sites and patients will travel a little further for the right specialist or faster slot, it’s worth comparing two or three towns rather than defaulting to the nearest hospital.

Yes. You can self-pay for private consultations, diagnostics and many procedures at Surrey hospitals without any insurance, membership or NHS involvement. Payment is usually arranged upfront, and many hospitals offer fixed-price packages and finance options. Self-pay suits one-off needs like a single scan or consultation. If you expect ongoing investigations or treatment, compare the total against what insurance would cost, as repeated self-pay adds up quickly.

All the major UK insurers — Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality and WPA — recognise the main Surrey private hospitals, though exactly which hospitals are on your list depends on your policy and cover tier. For example, Mount Alvernia in Guildford is recognised by all the major insurers. Always check the specific hospital is on your plan’s hospital list, and get pre-authorisation before treatment, to avoid unexpected bills.

Much faster than typical NHS waits. Private diagnostics such as MRI, CT and ultrasound are often available within a few days, and consultant appointments within a week or two, with elective surgery scheduled soon after your consultation. The biggest time savings come between stages — referral to consultant, consultant to scan, scan to treatment — which is why many Surrey patients use private care for diagnosis even if they continue treatment on the NHS.