Harley Street Medical District · Central London & St Albans
A private liver ultrasound at London Private Ultrasound costs £219 and assesses the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts for fatty liver, gallstones, cysts, enlargement and other structural findings. No GP referral, findings explained on the day, and a written report within 24 hours.
If your GP has flagged an abnormal liver blood test, you’re worried about fatty liver, or you have discomfort under the right ribs, this scan gives you a direct structural answer. A liver and abdomen ultrasound uses sound waves, with no radiation and no injections, to build a live image of the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts. It shows size, shape and texture, picks up gallstones, cysts and duct changes, and reveals the fatty change that a blood test can only hint at.
Want liver blood tests and a doctor to interpret them alongside the scan? The Liver Health Package combines the scan, an 26-marker LFT panel, a GP consultation and a pharmacist medication review form £499. Compare both options.
| Price | £219 all-inclusive · no hidden fees |
|---|---|
| What’s included | Liver · gallbladder · bile ducts · portal vein region · fatty liver assessment · other visible upper-abdominal structures |
| Scan time | 15–20 minutes · allow 30–40 minutes for the appointment |
| Who performs it | Registered sonographer or ultrasound consultant |
| Preparation | Fast for around 6 hours beforehand (water only) |
| GP referral | Not required — book directly |
| UK price range | Private liver ultrasound typically £120–£350, more for consultant-led Harley Street scans |
| Locations | 27 Welbeck Street, Central London W1G 8EN · 54–56 Victoria Street, St Albans AL1 3HZ |
| Results | Verbal on the day · written report with images within 24 hours |
| Availability | 7 days a week, 9am–7pm · same-day appointments often available |
Ultrasound shows the structure of your liver: whether it is fatty, enlarged, scarred in appearance, or whether there are gallstones and duct changes. It cannot tell you what your liver enzymes are doing. Most people booking a liver scan are here because of an abnormal blood result or a fatty liver worry, and both questions are best answered together.
£219
Enough if you only want the structural answer and already have recent liver blood results.
£from 499
The complete picture in one visit. Structure, enzymes, medication risk and a doctor to read all three together.
Not sure which fits? Call 020 7101 3377 or message us on WhatsApp and the clinic team will talk it through. You can also add liver blood tests to the £219 scan on the day rather than upgrading to the full package. If you want to understand what each test actually measures first, see liver ultrasound, blood tests, elastography and CT/MRI compared.
Choose your clinic, date and available appointment time through the secure LondonSono booking page. Same-day appointments are often available. If you would like liver blood tests or elastography at the same visit, call 020 7101 3377 and we will arrange the most appropriate option.
Continue to the secure LondonSono booking page to choose your preferred clinic, appointment date and available time.
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People often assume this scan only looks at the liver itself. In the same appointment we also check the gallbladder, the bile ducts and the portal vein region, because problems in one often show up in another.
Measured and assessed for enlargement, contour and background echotexture.
Any discrete abnormality is measured, described and, where relevant, flagged for follow-up.
Assessed for stones, sludge and inflammation, which is why a short fast beforehand matters.
The visible bile ducts are checked for dilatation, which can point to an obstruction.
The porta hepatis and portal vein are reviewed as part of the standard scan.
Nearby structures are reviewed so any liver finding is placed in a wider picture.
What ultrasound cannot do. It cannot measure liver enzyme levels, that is what a blood test is for. It cannot precisely quantify fat percentage or fibrosis stage, that needs elastography or a fibrosis blood score. And bowel gas can occasionally limit the view of parts of the liver or bile ducts. If your scan shows something that needs any of these, you get a same-day referral letter or an offer to add the test, at no extra charge for the letter.
These are the reasons a liver ultrasound gets requested on the NHS, and the reasons people book one privately rather than wait.
A raised ALT, AST, ALP or GGT, often found incidentally on a routine blood panel, is the single most common reason a liver ultrasound gets requested.
Excess weight, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or regular alcohol use are all recognised risk factors for fatty liver disease worth checking structurally.
Discomfort under the right ribs can come from the liver, gallbladder or gallstones. Ultrasound is usually the first test to tell them apart.
Yellowing of the skin or eyes, or unusually dark urine, can point to a bile duct problem that ultrasound assesses directly.
If you already have fatty liver, gallstones or a diagnosed liver condition, interval scans track whether things are stable, improving or progressing.
Persistent, unexplained tiredness, or a family history of liver disease or haemochromatosis, both make a structural baseline worthwhile.
Seek urgent medical advice rather than booking a scan if you have severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, a high fever, confusion, marked yellowing of the skin or eyes, or vomiting blood. Contact your GP, call NHS 111, or attend A&E.
These tests answer different questions, and booking the wrong one first wastes time. Here is what each one actually tells you.
| Test | Question it answers | Best for | Radiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liver ultrasound | What does the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts look like structurally? | First-line test for abnormal bloods, suspected fatty liver, gallstones, RUQ pain | None |
| Liver function blood tests | How is the liver working? ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, bilirubin, albumin | Fatigue, suspected liver strain, monitoring medication effects | None |
| Liver elastography (FibroScan-type) | How much fat and scarring (fibrosis) is present, graded on a scale? | Confirmed or suspected fatty liver, monitoring fibrosis over time | None |
| CT or MRI of the liver | Detailed characterisation of a lesion found on ultrasound, or a view where bowel gas limits ultrasound | Specific follow-up, arranged by a specialist | CT: low dose · MRI: none |
The short version. If you have abnormal bloods, a symptom, or a family history, start with ultrasound. If fatty liver is suspected or confirmed, elastography grades how advanced it is. Many people benefit from both in one visit — see the Liver Health Package for ultrasound and elastography together, or private blood tests on their own.
Nothing enters the body, nothing is injected and there is no radiation. Here is the appointment end to end.
Having fasted for around 6 hours, check in at reception. Take your usual essential medication with a small sip of water unless advised otherwise.
Your sonographer goes through your symptoms, liver blood results, alcohol history, medication and any previous imaging.
You lie on your back, usually with your right arm raised above your head. Gel and a probe are moved across the upper right abdomen to image the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and portal vein. You may be asked to take a breath in and hold it briefly.
Your sonographer talks you through what was seen and what it does or does not mean. You leave knowing the answer rather than waiting for a letter.
A full written report with key images arrives by email within 24 hours, with a GP or specialist referral letter included at no extra charge if anything needs onward investigation.
Fasting matters more for this scan than most, because it fills the gallbladder so it can be checked properly. Five things help.
Water only. Avoid food and other drinks so the gallbladder fills with bile and is easier to assess.
Continue with a small sip of water, unless a doctor has told you otherwise.
Recent liver function blood results, plus any earlier scan or elastography reports, let us compare rather than start from zero.
Honest context helps your sonographer interpret what they see. This stays confidential and clinical.
A top that lifts easily above the waist means you won’t need to change for the scan.
Diabetes or another medical reason for not fasting is workable, just tell us when booking so we can plan around it.
A private liver ultrasound in the UK generally sits somewhere between roughly £120 and £350 at self-pay clinics, rising to £400–£500+ for consultant-led scans in central London, depending on whether the gallbladder and bile ducts are included and whether a written report is part of the price. Ours is £219, all in.
| Liver ultrasound: size, contour and echotexture | Included |
| Fatty liver (steatosis) assessment | Included |
| Gallbladder assessment for stones and sludge | Included |
| Bile duct assessment for dilatation | Included |
| Portal vein and upper-abdominal review | Included |
| Consultation and verbal findings on the day | Included |
| Written report with key images within 24 hours | Included |
| GP or specialist referral letter if needed | Included |
| Total | £219 |
Liver function blood tests and liver elastography (fibrosis grading) are priced separately. If you would like structure, function and fibrosis assessed in one visit, ask about the Liver Health Package when you book.
Why cheaper scans are not always comparable. The lowest advertised prices in London are often liver-only, sometimes without the gallbladder or bile ducts, and occasionally without a written report unless you pay an add-on. Before comparing prices, check three things: whether the gallbladder and bile ducts are included, whether a written report is included, and whether a named registered practitioner performs and reports the scan.
If your concern is broader than the liver alone, these are the pathways that usually make sense.
Liver ultrasound combined with liver elastography and blood tests, so structure, fibrosis and function are assessed together.
Grades liver stiffness (fibrosis) and fat content, the natural next step if fatty liver is suspected.
Liver function tests, lipid profile and HbA1c, with GP review of your results.
A broader scan of the abdominal organs, including the liver, kidneys, pancreas and spleen.
Structured assessment for fatty liver, weight and metabolic risk factors with a GP.
Six examinations in one 60-minute appointment, including the liver, for a broader structural baseline.
The questions our team is asked most often at the front desk and on the phone.
A private liver ultrasound at London Private Ultrasound costs £219, all-inclusive. Across the UK, private liver ultrasound generally runs from around £120 to £350 at self-pay clinics, rising to £400–£500+ for consultant-led scans in central London, depending on whether the gallbladder and bile ducts are included and whether a written report is part of the price.
On the NHS, a liver ultrasound requested by your GP or a hospital doctor has no direct cost, but waiting times for routine imaging vary by area and can run into weeks.
For most people with a genuine reason to check, yes. Liver disease, especially fatty liver, often causes no symptoms until it is fairly advanced, so an ultrasound is a quick, radiation-free way to look for early structural change while it is still straightforward to act on.
It’s most clearly worth it if you have abnormal liver blood tests, risk factors such as excess weight, alcohol use or type 2 diabetes, or symptoms such as right-sided abdominal discomfort or fatigue. If you have no symptoms and no risk factors, ultrasound isn’t routinely recommended as a stand-alone screening test on its own, and it’s worth a quick conversation with a GP first, which we’re also able to arrange.
The most common reason is an abnormal liver function blood test (ALT, AST, ALP or GGT), often picked up incidentally on a routine panel. Other reasons include suspected fatty liver disease, monitoring a known liver condition, right upper abdominal pain, jaundice, unexplained fatigue, a family history of liver disease, or risk factors such as obesity, type 2 diabetes or high alcohol intake.
NHS guidance generally recommends ultrasound as the first imaging test once blood tests have flagged a possible problem, which is exactly what this scan replicates privately without the wait.
No. You can self-refer and book directly online or by calling 020 7101 3377. If you already have a GP referral, recent liver function blood results or previous scan reports, bring them, as they give your sonographer useful clinical context.
Most liver ultrasounds are booked to investigate a mildly abnormal blood test or vague symptoms, and most come back either entirely normal or showing simple fatty change that responds well to lifestyle changes. The scan itself is painless, quick and carries no risk.
If something more significant is found, you get a same-day referral letter with your images attached, so any next step starts promptly instead of adding a further wait on top of the one you’ve already had.
It assesses the liver’s size, shape and echotexture, looking for fatty change or cirrhotic features. It screens for cysts, haemangiomas or other focal lesions. It checks the gallbladder for stones, sludge or wall thickening. And it reviews the bile ducts for dilatation and the portal vein region.
It cannot measure liver enzyme levels directly. That’s what a blood test does.
Ultrasound can show appearances consistent with fatty liver or cirrhosis, such as increased brightness (echogenicity) or a coarse, irregular liver surface. It’s a good first-line test but cannot precisely quantify the amount of fat or the stage of fibrosis.
Liver elastography, sometimes called FibroScan-type testing, or a blood-based fibrosis score, is used to grade severity once ultrasound has raised the possibility. See liver elastography for the next step.
Yes, ideally around 6 hours beforehand, water only. Fasting keeps the gallbladder filled with bile, which makes it far easier to see and to check properly for gallstones and sludge.
If you can’t fast for a medical reason, such as diabetes, tell us when booking. We’ll still perform the scan, though gallbladder assessment may be more limited on the day.
The scan itself takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow 30 to 40 minutes for the full appointment, which includes your history, the scan and the discussion of findings before you leave.
No. The scan is painless and non-invasive. You’ll feel gel on the skin and gentle pressure from the probe, and may be asked to hold your breath briefly. Nothing enters the body and no radiation is used.
The NHS route is the closest to free: if your GP identifies a clinical reason (such as abnormal blood tests, symptoms or risk factors), they can refer you for an NHS liver ultrasound at no direct cost, though waiting times vary by area. Private clinics, including ours, charge because you’re paying for immediate, guaranteed access without a referral or a wait.
If cost is a barrier and your GP thinks a scan is clinically necessary, an NHS referral is the right first step to ask about.
Your sonographer explains the main findings before you leave. A written report with key images is emailed within 24 hours, together with a referral letter for your GP or a specialist at no extra charge if anything needs onward investigation.
No. If your scan finds something that needs NHS specialist management, we produce a referral letter for your GP the same day at no additional cost. Because it includes confirmed imaging findings, that referral is usually stronger, and your specialist appointment more productive from the first visit.
London Private Ultrasound has two clinics. Central London is at 27 Welbeck Street, W1G 8EN, in the Harley Street Medical District, a short walk from Bond Street, Oxford Circus and Marylebone. St Albans is at 54–56 Victoria Street, AL1 3HZ.
Both offer liver ultrasound seven days a week, 9am to 7pm, with same-day appointments often available.
Two clinics, seven days a week, 9am to 7pm, with same-day and next-day appointments frequently available. Both offer the full liver ultrasound at £219.
27 Welbeck Street, London W1G 8EN
Two minutes from Bond Street (Elizabeth line, Central, Jubilee), five from Oxford Circus, eight from Marylebone and Baker Street. Convenient for patients travelling in from Mayfair, Fitzrovia, Soho, the City and Paddington.
54–56 Victoria Street, St Albans AL1 3HZ
A short walk from St Albans City station, with parking nearby. Convenient for patients across Hertfordshire, North London, Watford, Hatfield, Harpenden and Welwyn Garden City.
Co-founder of London Private Ultrasound
Registered sonographer specialising in general medical and abdominal ultrasound
MD · MRCGP · DRCOG · Overall clinical governance responsibility
Co-founder · CQC Champion ensuring compliance with Care Quality Commission standards
Medical disclaimer. This page is for general information and does not replace individual medical advice. A liver ultrasound is a diagnostic imaging test and cannot on its own confirm or exclude liver disease, fibrosis stage or cancer. If you have severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, marked jaundice, confusion or vomiting blood, seek urgent medical attention rather than booking a routine scan.
