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A grey-haired man with a rucksack looking out over mountain peaks.
Cleveland Clinic London’s Portland Place Outpatient Centre.
An older couple dancing together on a sunlit park path.

One fixed price for better health

How it worksCommon questions

Choose a hospital where the price you’re quoted truly is the price you pay.

The safest way to self-pay

When you pay for private treatment yourself, you need to know exactly what you’re paying for — and what happens if things don’t go to plan.

Arthur’s Self-Payers’ Insurance covers the cost of treating eligible complications after your surgery. So you can focus on recovery, not invoices.

“All surgeries carry a risk of complications specific to the procedure — usually through no fault of the surgeon. These complications and their rates are explained to patients when they consent to their operation, yet they’re often not covered in the price. And costs can mount quickly.”

What to know about self-funding

How Arthur makes self-funding much better

  • 1 in 10

    UK self-funding patients require some unplanned post-op investigation, treatment or surgery.

  • ~£3000

    The additional healthcare cost the patient faces on average when a complication occurs.

  • Covered

    Arthur funds medical treatment, surgery and diagnostics after a complication or unsuccessful surgery*

  • <3%

    On average, our insurance costs less than 3% of the procedure, and is borne by your hospital — not by you.

An older man swinging a golf club on a park lawn.

* Failing to alleviate or cure the patient’s symptoms to the point where further, unplanned diagnostics and interventions are required.

Patient cases · knee replacement

What a complication can cost.

The cost of treating a complication could be only a fraction of the original fee, or 5 times it.

  1. Mild

    Superficial wound infection

    Consultation → bloods/swab → antibiotics → wound care → follow-up

    £600–£1,300

  2. Moderate

    Severe knee stiffness

    Consultation → X-ray → physio → MUA → further physio → follow-up

    £3,250–£6,100

  3. Severe

    Deep joint infection

    Diagnostics → admission → aspiration/microbiology → surgery → prolonged antibiotics → follow-up

    £9,400–£20,750+

  4. Very severe

    Deep infection requiring revision

    Diagnostics → admission → revision knee replacement → prolonged treatment/rehab

    £35,000–£85,000+

With Arthur: £0 extraEligible care is settled directly between Arthur and your hospital.

Indicative additional costs. MUA: manipulation under anaesthetic.

How it works

Never pay more than you expect

  1. 01

    Consultation

    Your surgeon explains the complications that can occur — and the protection in place to cover you.

  2. 02

    Surgery

    Your operation proceeds as normal. The cost of the cover is built into your quote by the hospital.

  3. 03

    Complication & invoice

    If a complication occurs or the operation doesn’t resolve your symptoms, the hospital bills us directly for your extra care.

  4. 04

    Limitations

    The cover lasts a full year from the date of your surgery. If a complication surfaces at any point in that year, you’re completely protected.

All news & articles

What Arthur covers

Same operation. Two very different promises.

A standard self-pay quote

from £15,000

  • The operation and hospital stay
  • Return to theatre
  • Readmission or a longer stay
  • Intensive care
  • Further treatment if symptoms aren’t resolved

If there’s a complication, or the operation is unsuccessful in treating your symptoms, you pay for what follows.

With Arthur

fixed £15,000

  • The operation and an extended hospital stay
  • Return to theatre
  • Readmission or a longer stay
  • Intensive care
  • Further treatment if symptoms aren’t resolved

Eligible care (within 1 year of surgery) is funded by Arthur Health and settled directly with the treating hospital.

See the full list of exclusions

£15,000 is an illustrative price for a total knee replacement.

The things people ask before they decide.

Plain answers. If your question isn’t here, your hospital or consultant will be able to help you.

Is Arthur something I buy separately?

No. Arthur is offered through your hospital as part of a fixed-price self-pay package. The cover is built into the package price and paid for by your hospital.

What counts as an “eligible complication”?

A complication — or an operation that doesn’t resolve your symptoms — following your covered procedure and within a year of your surgery. Our policy sets out what is and isn’t covered.

Does Arthur change my treatment or my surgeon?

No. Every clinical decision stays with you and your surgeon. Arthur is simply the payor of eligible follow-on care — it isn’t you.

What if my surgery goes well?

Then nothing changes. You pay the agreed price, and the cover never needs to be used.

Who do I contact if something goes wrong?

Your hospital, as you would today. They arrange the care you need and invoice Arthur directly for eligible treatment.

Which hospitals and procedures are covered?

Cover applies to a specific procedure at a specific hospital, and eligibility varies by operation. See our partners, the procedures they provide and who is eligible.

Can I buy Arthur insurance for my surgery elsewhere?

We don’t sell to patients directly. If you’re self-funding your surgery, ask your hospital whether your procedure is protected by Arthur — or see where it’s available. If it’s not, make sure you understand what provisions are in place at your chosen hospital before consenting to surgery.

Arthur is offered through your hospital.

We don’t sell to patients directly. If you’re considering self-pay surgery, ask your hospital whether your procedure is protected by Arthur — or see where it’s available.