Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital: 2026 Price List & Guide
The price-first guide to Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital in Impington — the hospital locals also call the Spire Histon. Real 2026 costs for consultations, scans and surgery, the robotic-assisted surgery and Bupa-accredited one-stop breast clinic that set it apart, how insurance and self-pay work, and everything the address, parking and booking searches actually want to know.
Quick Answer
Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital — 30 New Road, Impington CB24 9EL, three miles north of the centre — is Cambridge’s biggest dedicated private hospital: 44 en-suite rooms plus a 19-bay day-case suite, five theatres (three ultra-clean-air), an endoscopy unit, and on-site MRI, CT, ultrasound and digital mammography — with robotic-assisted surgery including joint replacements, and a Bupa-accredited one-stop breast clinic.
Typical prices: consultation £150–350, MRI £350–900, cataract surgery £2,500–3,500 per eye, hip replacement £11,000–17,000 — fixed all-inclusive quotes after consultation. Searched as Spire Histon or Spire Impington? Same hospital — the twin villages share it. Free parking, EV chargers, and CQC-rated Good.
On this page
The 2026 Price List — What Treatment Really Costs
| Treatment / Investigation | Typical Private Cost |
|---|---|
| Initial consultation | £150 – £350 |
| Ultrasound | £120 – £240 |
| MRI scan | £350 – £900 |
| CT scan | £400 – £900 |
| Colonoscopy | £1,100 – £2,000 |
| Cataract surgery (per eye) | £2,500 – £3,500 |
| Hernia repair | £2,400 – £4,000 |
| Hip replacement | £11,000 – £17,000 |
| Knee replacement | £13,000 – £18,000 |
Ranges reflect typical UK private pricing — Spire confirms an exact fixed, all-inclusive quote after your consultation, with payment plans for self-pay patients via interest-free credit options. The big procedures have full national guides — hip replacement, knee replacement, cataract surgery, hernia repair and gallbladder surgery — and the questions that keep any quote honest live in our price list guide.
Facilities: Theatres, Rooms & Robotic Surgery
Purpose-built in 1987 and expanded ever since, the hospital now runs 44 private en-suite rooms, a dedicated day-case suite with 19 private bays, five operating theatres — three with ultra-clean-air ventilation (the laminar-flow standard that matters in joint surgery), an endoscopy unit (costs for that route in our endoscopy guide), 22 consulting rooms and a full on-site imaging department: fixed MRI and CT, ultrasound, digital mammography and X-ray — the practical difference between one visit and three. Scan-route basics, including when MRI beats CT, are in MRI vs CT explained. The modern flagship: robotic-assisted surgery, which Spire has invested in here for a range of procedures including joint replacements — greater precision, and for some patients quicker recovery.
The One-Stop Breast Clinic
Bupa-accredited, same-day assessment
Running at least weekly, the hospital’s one-stop breast clinic compresses the anxious part into a single visit: physical examination, mammogram and — where needed — biopsies, same day, with Bupa-accredited specialist breast surgeons, multi-disciplinary team review and a specialist breast care nurse supporting patients from diagnosis onward. Reconstruction, where appropriate, can be carried out by accredited surgeons at the same time as tumour removal. The honest companion note: for red-flag breast symptoms, NHS urgent referral pathways are free and fast — what the private clinic buys is same-day answers and continuity with your chosen surgeon.
Treatments & Specialties
- Orthopaedics — the core caseload: hip and knee replacement (including robotic-assisted), knee procedures, foot and ankle surgery, with physiotherapy supporting recovery.
- Spinal surgery — consultant spinal surgeons operate here across decompression, disc and fusion procedures.
- Gynaecology — a recognised strength, including endometriosis diagnosis and laparoscopic treatment.
- General surgery — hernia repair, gallbladder removal and the endoscopy caseload through the dedicated unit.
- Ophthalmology, urology, ENT and dermatology — consultant clinics through the 22 consulting rooms, backed by the on-site imaging department; private blood testing routes across the city are covered in our Cambridge blood tests guide.
Histon, Impington & Getting There
Spire Histon, Spire Impington, Cambridge Lea — one hospital, three names
The hospital sits at 30 New Road, Impington CB24 9EL — and because Impington and Histon are twin villages sharing a boundary, locals search for the Spire Histon, Spire Impington and Cambridge Lea interchangeably. All the same place: three miles north of Cambridge city centre, straight off the A14 (and M11 beyond), around 15 minutes from Cambridge station — with its fast London links — and roughly 40 minutes from Stansted. Free on-site parking including electric vehicle chargers, and outpatient hours running weekdays into the evening with Saturday mornings — confirm times when booking.
Insurance, Self-Pay & NHS Patients
Insured: Spire hospitals sit on the standard hospital lists of the main UK insurers — how hospital lists work — and the breast clinic carries specific Bupa accreditation. The sequence that prevents claims problems: hospital on your list, consultant recognised, pre-authorisation before booking. Cover applies to new conditions arising after the policy starts — never pre-existing conditions or routine screening. How the insurers compare: our honest reviews.
Self-pay: fixed all-inclusive quotes after consultation with payment plans available — and you’ll need a GP referral for most specialist consultations. NHS patients: the hospital also treats NHS-referred patients under NHS contracts, so your GP may offer it as a Patient Choice option for some referrals — at NHS timescales; the private routes are what buy the speed.
Finding the Right Consultant
Spire publishes a searchable consultant directory for the hospital across its specialties. The method that works: start from the treatment, find consultants who perform it regularly here — many also hold NHS posts at Addenbrooke’s — then check availability, with insurer recognition confirmed before booking if you’re using cover; the full approach is in choosing a private consultant. Weighing the city’s two hospitals? Nuffield Health Cambridge is the central alternative — strong in cancer, neurosurgery and cardiology — with the whole scene mapped in private hospitals in Cambridge and the group-level differences in Spire vs Nuffield. Patient feedback here is strongly positive — clean facilities, short waits and friendly staff recur across platforms — though recent reviews in your specific specialty always beat the headline star count. The hospital is CQC-rated Good, with the current position always on the CQC website.
No A&E — and what to do instead
Like all UK private hospitals, this is a planned-care hospital with no emergency department. In an emergency call 999 or go to NHS A&E — Addenbrooke’s Hospital is Cambridge’s emergency department and the region’s major trauma centre. Why private hospitals work this way: private hospitals and emergency care.
FAQs: Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital (2026)
Does Spire Cambridge Lea publish a price list?
Spire prices treatments individually, with fixed all-inclusive quotes confirmed after consultation. Typical private prices: initial consultation £150–350, ultrasound £120–240, MRI £350–900, CT £400–900, colonoscopy £1,100–2,000, cataract surgery £2,500–3,500 per eye, hernia repair £2,400–4,000, hip replacement £11,000–17,000 and knee replacement £13,000–18,000 — with payment plans available for self-pay patients.
Where is Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital — and is it the same as the Spire Histon?
Yes, same hospital: it sits at 30 New Road in Impington, CB24 9EL — the twin village of Histon, which is why locals search for the Spire Histon, Spire Impington and Cambridge Lea interchangeably. It’s about three miles north of Cambridge city centre, reachable from the A14 and M11, roughly 15 minutes from Cambridge station and 40 minutes from Stansted, with free on-site parking including electric vehicle chargers.
What facilities does the hospital have?
Purpose-built in 1987 and continually expanded: 44 private en-suite rooms plus a dedicated day-case suite with 19 private bays, five operating theatres — three with ultra-clean-air ventilation — an endoscopy unit, 22 consulting rooms, and on-site imaging including fixed MRI, CT, ultrasound, digital mammography and X-ray. The hospital also offers robotic-assisted surgery for a range of procedures including joint replacements.
What is the one-stop breast clinic?
A Bupa-accredited service running at least weekly, where the tests needed for an initial diagnosis — physical examination, mammogram and biopsies where needed — happen on the same day, with accredited specialist breast surgeons, a multi-disciplinary team review and a specialist breast care nurse for support. For anyone facing a worrying breast symptom, same-day assessment is precisely what private access is for — and NHS urgent breast referrals remain free and fast for red-flag symptoms.
Does health insurance cover treatment at Spire Cambridge Lea?
Yes — Spire hospitals sit on the standard hospital lists of the main UK insurers, and the breast clinic carries specific Bupa accreditation. The sequence that avoids claims problems: confirm the hospital is on your policy’s list, check your consultant is recognised, and get pre-authorisation before booking anything. Insurance covers new conditions arising after the policy starts — never pre-existing conditions or routine screening.
Does Spire Cambridge Lea treat NHS patients?
Yes — alongside insured and self-pay patients, the hospital treats NHS-referred patients under NHS contracts, so your GP may be able to offer it as a choice for some NHS referrals. The private routes are what buy direct speed and choice: consultations within days, your choice of consultant, and fixed-price packages for surgery.
Does the hospital have an A&E?
No — like all UK private hospitals it provides planned care. In an emergency call 999 or go to NHS A&E: Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge is the region’s emergency department and major trauma centre. Private care picks up after emergencies — the consultations, scans and planned surgery that otherwise sit on waiting lists.
Important Information
This 2026 guide is independent general information, not medical or financial advice — Going Private UK is not affiliated with Spire Healthcare or Bupa. Prices are typical UK ranges; exact costs come from the hospital after consultation. Facilities, services, clinic schedules and CQC ratings change; verify current details with the hospital and regulator. Anyone with urgent symptoms should see a doctor promptly — in an emergency call 999. 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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