In the Greater London area (within M25), circumcision fees vary widely between different practices and practitioners. It can go from £50 to £1500. There are broadly three categories:

Category 1- More than £300: Circumcision under general anaesthesia (GA) will usually cost more than £1000 for obvious reasons. Some clinics may offer additional care -such as oral or intravenous (drips) sedation (what is sedation) for older boys - which can drive the cost higher.  

We haven't found any valid reason to put a child through a GA - with all the risks that involves - for a cultural / religious circumcision. GA is justifiable when there are medical reasons for circumcising a child but, then again, a medical circumcision can be performed within the NHS at no cost.

Category 2- Between £100 and £300: This is the fee you should expect to pay for a circumcision correctly peformed by an experienced doctor/surgeon at a clinic or centre (NEVER at home or in a mosque due to higher risk of complications such as infections). What defines the range of the price in this category:

A) Surgeons' fees are (expectedly) higher compared to General Practitioners (GPs), but that is money well spent; 

B) Sterile procedure rooms, aseptic techniques, disposable materials, etc. - which reduce the risk of infection - cost more to the provider and therefore you'll pay more for this additional level of safety;

C) Specialised clinics and private hospitals provide an extra personalised care and devote more time to you and your child making the whole experience undeniably more satisfactory. Therefore, you may pay more for it (fairly though).

Category 3- £50 to £100: Many different types of unregulated practices belong to this category. Untrained and medically unqualified religious / community practitioners constitute the biggest part of this category and the biggest threat to public safety. It is a well-documented fact that boys circumcised by unqualified hands are 10 times more at risk of developing complications such as trauma or damages to the penis, bleeding and infection. 

This category is not recommendable at all, unless you are really keen for it to be done in a religious establishment and/or according to religious ceremonies. As a reminder, circumcision, once done, is forever and cannot be undone. 

Based on the information provided on London-based circumcision clinics and centres websites and/or obtained through telephone conversations and other publically available materials we have established a rating system which will allow you to make an informed decision without spending hours or days browsing the net.

The most important criteria that should be considered when chosing a place to circumcise your son are:

(Please note: this sign > means better than)

- Performed by a Surgeon: Paediatric surgeons / Urologists > General surgeons > GPs or Paediatricians

- Hygienic conditions: Sterile procedure rooms + disposable materials

- Pain-relief methods: performed under local anaesthesia (Penile nerve block) followed by a negative pain test, with parents present, before the procedure

- Circumcision techniques: Ability and knowledge of performing at least two different circumcision techniques by the same individual healthcare provider, preferrably the ring and the conventional techniques

- 24/7 availability and / or access: to the clinic > to the doctor > to on-call doctor

- Fees and costs in terms of value for money

These three clinics are those where all these criterias are perfectly and professionally fulfilled :

1- Prince Clinic (specialised clinic for children) in Richmond - 08456 525 777

2- The Cromwell hospital (if performed under L.A.) in Kensington - 0800 169 1055

3- BMI Healthcare (if performed under L.A.) - multiple locations - 0808 101 0337

Reminder: this classification concerns clinics located in the Greater London area only.