Private Lung Function Test & Spirometry UK (2026): Costs, Process & How to Book
Breathless, coughing, or waiting on the NHS for a spirometry test? Here’s what a private lung function test costs in 2026, what each test actually measures, how fast you can be seen, and whether insurance covers it.
Quick Answer
A private spirometry (lung function) test in the UK typically costs £70–£120, with a fuller pulmonary function panel (adding lung volumes and gas transfer) running £150–£350, and consultant-led packages with reversibility testing £300–£500. Most private clinics see you within days, often without a GP referral, with results frequently the same day.
It’s the fast route to diagnosing or monitoring asthma, COPD and other breathing problems when you don’t want to wait. If NHS waiting is the wider issue, health insurance covers fast access to far more than one test.
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What Is a Lung Function Test?
A lung function test — most commonly spirometry, part of broader pulmonary function testing (PFT) — measures how well your lungs work. The tests are quick, non-invasive and painless: you breathe into a machine through a mouthpiece (with a soft clip on your nose) and follow the operator’s instructions.
Depending on the test, lung function testing measures how much air you can move, how fast you can exhale, your total lung capacity, and how efficiently oxygen passes from your lungs into your blood. Together these help diagnose and monitor conditions like asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis and other respiratory problems. One honest point worth knowing: lung function tests assess how your lungs work — they do not detect lung cancer (that needs imaging such as a CT scan).
Types of Lung Function Test — and What Each Actually Measures
“Lung function test” is an umbrella term. Here’s what the main tests do, because the differences matter for what you’re paying for:
Spirometry
The core, most common test. Measures how much air you can breathe out and how quickly — the primary test for diagnosing and monitoring asthma and COPD. Often used as a standalone assessment.
Bronchodilator reversibility
Spirometry repeated after an inhaler (bronchodilator). If your numbers improve markedly, it points toward asthma rather than fixed COPD. Usually done with a consultant.
Lung volumes / body plethysmography
Measures your total lung capacity — often done in a sealed clear booth, using pressure changes to calculate lung volume. Part of a fuller PFT panel.
Gas transfer (DLCO / diffusion capacity)
Checks how efficiently oxygen passes from your lungs into your blood — useful for conditions like pulmonary fibrosis. This is the specialist test, not basic spirometry.
Other tests you may come across: peak flow (a simple measure of how fast you can breathe out, often done at home) and FeNO (fractional exhaled nitric oxide), which measures airway inflammation and is especially useful in diagnosing asthma.
💡 Which test do you need?
For suspected asthma or COPD, spirometry (often with reversibility and sometimes FeNO) is usually enough. A full pulmonary function panel adds lung volumes and gas transfer, used where a specialist needs the complete picture. A private respiratory consultant can advise — you don’t always need the most expensive panel.
Private Lung Function Test Costs (2026)
Pricing depends on which tests are included and whether a consultant appointment comes with it. As indicative 2026 ranges (not a quote from any one clinic):
| Test | Indicative private price* | NHS |
|---|---|---|
| Basic spirometry | ~£70–£120 | Free (GP/nurse, wait varies) |
| FeNO (airway inflammation) | ~£50–£120 | Not always available |
| Spirometry + reversibility + consultation | ~£300–£400 | Free (specialist referral, longer wait) |
| Full pulmonary function panel | ~£150–£350 | Free (specialist referral, often long wait) |
| Asthma / COPD diagnostic package | ~£400–£500 | Specialist-led, long wait |
*Indicative UK ranges; clinic fees often exclude a separate consultant appointment fee. Confirm exactly what’s included when booking. The NHS provides these tests free where you can access them.
For context on other diagnostics, see our guides to private CT scans (used for imaging the lungs) and our diagnostics hub.
NHS vs Private Lung Function Testing
The NHS provides lung function testing free, and for many people that’s the right route. The trade-off is access and speed. Basic spirometry may be done at your GP surgery, but specialist tests — full PFT panels, gas transfer, body plethysmography — usually need a respiratory referral, and waits for those can be long.
Going private buys speed and convenience: many clinics offer appointments within days (sometimes same-day), often without a GP referral, with results frequently available immediately and a report you can share with your GP or consultant. If you’re symptomatic and anxious, or you need a result quickly for work or travel, that speed is the value. For the wider picture, see our NHS vs private guide.
Who Should Get a Lung Function Test?
A lung function test may be worth considering if you have:
- A persistent cough or shortness of breath
- Suspected or known asthma or COPD (for diagnosis or monitoring)
- Ongoing breathing issues after COVID (long COVID)
- Workplace exposure to dust, chemicals or fumes (occupational lung health)
- A family history of lung disease
It’s also a routine part of occupational health in industries like construction and manufacturing, and forms part of some private health screening packages. If symptoms are severe or sudden — significant breathlessness, chest pain — that’s a reason to seek urgent NHS care, not book a routine private test.
Do You Need a GP Referral?
For most private spirometry and lung function tests, no referral is needed — you can book directly, and many clinics have an on-site private GP who can arrange testing or provide a follow-up. Some clinics prefer a referral for the more specialist panels. Look for clinics whose physiologists are ARTP-accredited and that are CQC-registered — that’s your marker of quality and reliable results. See our guide on private referrals.
How to Book & What to Expect
- Choose a clinic — a private hospital, diagnostic centre or dedicated respiratory clinic; check it’s CQC-registered.
- Pick your test — spirometry alone, or a fuller panel if a consultant advises; confirm whether a consultation fee is separate.
- Book — often online, frequently within days.
- Attend — the test takes around 20–60 minutes depending on what’s included; bring any relevant records and a list of your medications (you may be asked to avoid inhalers beforehand).
- Get your results — often immediately or same-day for spirometry; fuller reports may take 24–48 hours, with a copy for your GP.
Does Health Insurance Cover Lung Function Tests?
Often, yes — but with conditions. Most private medical insurance covers diagnostic tests like spirometry when requested by a consultant as part of an approved claim, with a referral and pre-authorisation. A test you arrange yourself by self-referral usually isn’t covered, and your outpatient limits will apply.
⚠️ Already have breathing symptoms? Read this
If you already have a diagnosed respiratory condition or ongoing symptoms, a new insurance policy generally won’t cover investigation or treatment for it — that’s a pre-existing exclusion. So you can’t take out cover now to fund testing for a problem you already have; for that, self-pay or the NHS is the route. Insurance makes sense for future, unforeseen conditions — see our guide to pre-existing conditions.
Some employers include lung function testing within corporate health insurance or occupational health checks, particularly for higher-exposure roles. And if it’s NHS waiting in general that’s driving you private, comparing cover shows what fast access across your whole health would cost — see health insurance with private GP access.
The bottom line
A private spirometry or lung function test is fast, affordable and usually referral-free — typically £70–£120 for spirometry, more for a full panel or consultant-led assessment, often with same-day results. It’s the sensible choice when you want answers about your breathing without an NHS wait.
Just remember it won’t detect cancer (that needs imaging), and a new insurance policy won’t cover a breathing problem you already have. If escaping NHS waits is the wider goal, compare health insurance for fast access to far more than one test.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a private lung function test cost in the UK?
Basic spirometry typically costs around £70–£120 privately. A fuller pulmonary function panel (adding lung volumes and gas transfer) runs roughly £150–£350, and consultant-led packages with reversibility testing around £300–£500. Clinic fees often exclude a separate consultant appointment, so confirm what’s included when booking.
Do I need a GP referral for a private spirometry test?
Usually not. Most private clinics let you book a spirometry or lung function test directly without a GP referral, and many have an on-site private GP who can arrange it or follow up. Some specialist panels may prefer a referral. Choose a CQC-registered clinic with ARTP-accredited physiologists.
How long does a lung function test take, and when do I get results?
Spirometry takes around 20 minutes; a full pulmonary function panel can take 30–60 minutes. Basic results are often available immediately or the same day, with fuller written reports typically within 24–48 hours, and a copy sent to your GP.
Is a lung function test painful?
No — lung function tests are non-invasive and painless. You breathe into a mouthpiece following the operator’s instructions. The hardest part is simply blowing out as hard and long as you can, which can feel tiring but isn’t uncomfortable.
Can a lung function test detect cancer?
No. Lung function tests measure how well your lungs work — they diagnose and monitor conditions like asthma and COPD, but they do not detect lung cancer. Suspected cancer needs imaging such as a CT scan, arranged by a doctor.
What’s the difference between spirometry and a full lung function test?
Spirometry is the core test measuring airflow — how much and how fast you breathe out — and is often enough to diagnose asthma or COPD. A full pulmonary function test adds lung volume measurement and gas transfer (DLCO), giving a more complete picture, usually when a specialist needs it.
Does health insurance cover a lung function test?
Often, when a consultant requests it as part of an approved claim, with referral and pre-authorisation — subject to your outpatient limits. Tests you arrange yourself by self-referral usually aren’t covered. And a new policy won’t cover a respiratory condition you already have, as that’s a pre-existing exclusion.
- Private respiratory clinics & hospital outpatient price lists (2026) — indicative spirometry/PFT costs
- ARTP (Association for Respiratory Technology & Physiology) — testing standards
- CQC — regulation of private diagnostic services
- NHS — lung function testing & respiratory referral pathways
Important information
This guide is produced independently by Going Private UK and is not affiliated with any clinic or insurer. We may earn a commission when readers compare or take out health insurance through our quote service — this never affects the guidance we give.
Prices are indicative 2026 ranges, not quotes from named clinics — always confirm current pricing and what’s included directly with the provider. This is general information, not medical advice. If you have severe or sudden breathlessness or chest pain, seek urgent NHS care (call 999 or 111) rather than booking a routine test.
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