In short
- On the five Foot Health Practitioner price lists we checked, a routine clinic appointment cost £30 to £50 and a home visit £35 to £60.
- Private podiatry clinics outside London charged £45 to £55 for a regular routine appointment and, where listed, £55 to £65 for a first visit; a London podiatry clinic charged £95 for 30 minutes of chiropody.
- A university student clinic in Bournemouth charged £20 for up to 60 minutes, with Master's students supervised by HCPC-registered podiatrists.
- Six local Age UK nail cutting services charged £15 to £33.50 an appointment, some with a one-off £8 to £17 for your own clippers and file.
- NHS podiatry is free but aimed at clinical need, such as diabetes with foot risk, ulcers or ingrown toenails needing treatment; routine nail cutting is generally not covered.
The short answer
In our sample of 11 published price lists, a routine appointment with a Foot Health Practitioner cost £30 to £50 in a clinic and £35 to £60 for a home visit. Private podiatry clinics outside London charged £45 to £55 for a regular routine appointment and £55 to £65 for a first visit. The one London podiatry clinic in our sample charged £95 for 30 minutes, and a university student clinic in Bournemouth charged £20.
If you only need toenails cut, local Age UK services charged £15 to £33.50. NHS podiatry is free, but each area limits it to people with a clinical need, and routine nail cutting is usually not included.
The ranges overlap a lot, because "a foot appointment" is not one product. The biggest differences came from whether it was a first visit, whether someone came to your home, what the appointment included, and where in the country the clinic was. Nail surgery is a different price bracket altogether: £255 to £490 on the three lists that showed it.
What 11 practitioners and clinics charge
Every price below is the business's own published price, read on its own website on 10 November 2026. We describe each one by type and town rather than by name. "Routine" means the price each list gives for a standard treatment of nails, hard skin and corns; the names vary from list to list. We have not included any business in Doncaster.
| Practice | Town | Who treats (as the page says) | Routine treatment | Home visit | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foot Health Practitioner in Northampton | Daventry and Northampton | Foot Health Practitioner | £40 at a Northampton clinic | £35 (up to an hour) | 10 November 2026 |
| Foot Health Practitioner in Preston | Preston | Foot Health Practitioner | Home visits only | £35 | 10 November 2026 |
| Foot Health Practitioner clinic in Glasgow | Glasgow (Springburn) | Foot health practitioners | £30 toenail cutting; £37 to £45 full treatment with foot rub | Not listed | 10 November 2026 |
| Foot Health Practitioner near Guildford | Tongham, near Guildford | Foot Health Practitioner | £45 (nails, hard skin, foot cream) | £58 | 10 November 2026 |
| Foot Health Practitioner clinic in Nottingham | Beeston, Nottingham | Foot Health Practitioners | £50 (£55 for new patients) | £60 (45 minutes) | 10 November 2026 |
| Podiatry clinic in Middlewich | Middlewich, Cheshire | Podiatrist | £45 (£55 first appointment) | Not listed | 10 November 2026 |
| Podiatry clinic in Cardiff | Cardiff (Fairwater) | HCPC-registered podiatrists | £47, new or existing | £50 (within 3 miles) | 10 November 2026 |
| Podiatry clinic in West Kirby | West Kirby, Wirral | Podiatry clinic | £46 foot care treatment; £32.50 nail cutting | £40 flat rate plus £5 petrol | 10 November 2026 |
| Podiatry clinic in Norfolk | Norfolk | HCPC-registered podiatrist | £55 regular (£65 first or irregular); nail cutting from £39 | Not listed | 10 November 2026 |
| London podiatry clinic | London | Physiotherapy and podiatry clinics | £95 chiropody (30 minutes) | Not listed | 10 November 2026 |
| University student clinic in Bournemouth | Bournemouth | Podiatry students supervised by HCPC-registered podiatrists | £20 (up to 60 minutes) | Not listed | 10 November 2026 |
Read across the table, the Foot Health Practitioners charged a little less on average for a clinic appointment, but the ranges overlap: the podiatry clinic in West Kirby (£46) and the podiatry clinic in Cardiff (£47) sit between the Foot Health Practitioner near Guildford (£45) and the Foot Health Practitioner clinic in Nottingham (£50). Home visits were not always dearer either: of the five businesses that list both, three charged more at home, while the Foot Health Practitioner in Northampton charged less at home (£35) than at their clinic (£40).
Lined up, the home visit prices were £35 (the Foot Health Practitioner in Northampton and the Foot Health Practitioner in Preston), £45 including petrol (the podiatry clinic in West Kirby), £50 (the podiatry clinic in Cardiff), £58 (the Foot Health Practitioner near Guildford) and £60 (the Foot Health Practitioner clinic in Nottingham). The two Age UK services that come to your home charged £27 and £33.50, for nail cutting only.
Other treatments on the same price lists
Several of the lists also priced specific treatments. These are single examples, not ranges for the whole country:
| Treatment | Prices seen | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Corn removal | £25 to £30 | Foot Health Practitioner clinic in Glasgow |
| Callus (hard skin) reduction | £25 to £40 | Foot Health Practitioner clinic in Glasgow |
| Diabetic foot health assessment | £34 | Podiatry clinic in West Kirby |
| Verruca and wart treatment | £34.50 to £38.50; from £65 for a first consultation | Podiatry clinic in West Kirby; podiatry clinic in Norfolk |
| Fungal nail treatment | £86 | Podiatry clinic in West Kirby |
| Biomechanical or gait assessment | £56 to £70; from £105 | Podiatry clinic in West Kirby; podiatry clinic in Norfolk |
| First musculoskeletal podiatry appointment (60 minutes) | £195 | London podiatry clinic |
| Nail surgery | £255; from £400; £490 | Podiatry clinic in West Kirby; podiatry clinic in Middlewich; London podiatry clinic |
Our guides to verrucas and fungal nail infection cover what helps and who to see.
Age UK nail cutting charges
Many local Age UKs run a basic nail cutting service, usually for older people who cannot reach or cut their own nails. Each branch sets its own price and rules. The six we checked:
| Service | Price per appointment | Extras | Where | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age UK Barnet | £15 basic; £20 with a podiatrist | Late cancellations charged | Clinic | 10 November 2026 |
| Age UK Waltham Forest | £24 | £8 kit on a first visit; £5 for fingernails | Clinic | 10 November 2026 |
| Age UK Somerset | £25 | £15 one-off for clippers and file | Clinic | 10 November 2026 |
| Age UK Oxfordshire | £26 | £15 for a set if you bring none | Clinic only | 10 November 2026 |
| Age UK Milton Keynes | £27 for a simple toenail cut | More for extra care or diabetes | At home | 10 November 2026 |
| Age UK Northamptonshire | £33.50 (£62 for a couple) | £7.50 for fingernails; £17 clippers and file | At home | 10 November 2026 |
These are mostly nail cutting and filing only. Some branches say they cannot treat ingrown toenails, corns, calluses or infections, and some have age limits (50 or 55 and over) or check with your GP first if you have diabetes or take blood thinners. Our guide to foot care for older people has more on these services.
What the NHS provides free, and to whom
NHS podiatry costs nothing at the point of use, but it is not a general foot care service. There is no single national rule: each local NHS trust sets eligibility, and the common thread is clinical need.
- Oxford Health says its podiatry is free and directed at people with diabetes, immune, circulation or neurological conditions that affect foot health; people with foot ulcers; and people with ingrowing toenails that need treatment.
- Nottinghamshire Healthcare lists toenail cutting (including difficulty reaching your feet) and corns, calluses and nail problems without medical risk as not eligible, and says diabetes alone is not enough for referral.
- Leeds Community Healthcare does not offer nail care to people with good circulation and sensation, and only visits at home if you are totally housebound.
For people with diabetes, NICE guideline NG19 says anyone whose feet are rated moderate or high risk should be referred to the NHS foot protection service, which should provide their skin and nail care. If that is you, that care should be free.
Waits can be long. The NHS page on ingrown toenails says referral to a podiatrist on the NHS "may not be available to everyone and waiting times can be long", that you may be able to refer yourself, and that you can pay to see a podiatrist privately. For routine care that the NHS does not cover, a private Foot Health Practitioner or podiatrist, or a local Age UK service, are the usual routes; Leeds Community Healthcare, for example, lists foot health professionals among its non-NHS options.
What drives the price
| What changes | Effect in our sample | Example |
|---|---|---|
| First visit or regular visit | First visits cost £5 to £10 more | Podiatry clinic in Norfolk: £65 first, £55 regular; podiatry clinic in Middlewich: £55 and £45; Foot Health Practitioner clinic in Nottingham: £55 and £50 |
| Clinic or home | From £5 less to £13 more at home than in the same business's clinic | Foot Health Practitioner near Guildford: £45 and £58; Foot Health Practitioner clinic in Nottingham: £50 and £60; podiatry clinic in Cardiff: £47 and £50; Foot Health Practitioner in Northampton: £40 and £35 |
| Travel | Some add a petrol charge or limit the radius | The podiatry clinic in West Kirby adds £5 petrol; the podiatry clinic in Cardiff visits within 3 miles; the Foot Health Practitioner in Preston within 5 miles |
| What is included | Nail cutting alone is cheaper than a full treatment | Foot Health Practitioner clinic in Glasgow: £30 for nails, £37 to £45 for the full treatment |
| Hands as well as feet | £5 to £7.50 extra | Podiatry clinic in Cardiff: £5; Age UK Waltham Forest: £5; Age UK Northamptonshire: £7.50 |
| Location | London cost more in our sample | London podiatry clinic: £95 for 30 minutes |
| Who treats | Supervised students cost much less | University student clinic in Bournemouth: £20 for up to 60 minutes |
| Two people at one visit | Sharing can cut the cost per person | Age UK Northamptonshire: £62 for a couple; the podiatry clinic in West Kirby offers discounts for two or more |
| Surgery | Nail surgery is priced separately and much higher | £255 (podiatry clinic in West Kirby), from £400 (podiatry clinic in Middlewich), £490 (London podiatry clinic) |
Foot Health Practitioner or podiatrist: compare like with like
Because the price ranges overlap, the cheaper option is not automatically the right one, and the dearer one is not automatically better. Choose by what your feet need first:
- For routine care (nails, thickened nails, corns, hard skin), a Foot Health Practitioner or a podiatrist can both help, and price, distance and availability are fair ways to choose.
- For nail surgery, local anaesthetic or prescription medicines, you need an HCPC-registered podiatrist, and the price will be in the surgery bracket above.
- For diabetic feet rated moderate or high risk, an ulcer or a hot, swollen foot, start with the NHS, which should not cost you anything.
Our guide to the difference between a Foot Health Practitioner and a podiatrist explains training, titles and how to check who you are seeing.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Check NHS eligibility first if you have diabetes, poor circulation, a wound or an ingrown toenail. Your GP surgery or local NHS podiatry service can tell you.
- Book regularly. Three lists charged more for a first visit, and the podiatry clinic in Norfolk charges less for regular visits than for occasional ones.
- Go to the clinic if you can. Three of the five businesses that list both charged more for a home visit.
- Share a home visit. Couple and group rates were offered by some services.
- Use Age UK for nails only. If all you need is nails cut and filed, a local Age UK service was the lowest-priced paid option in our sample, though some have age limits and at least one has a waiting list.
- Look for a student clinic. Universities that train podiatrists sometimes run supervised clinics, like the university student clinic in Bournemouth.
What to check before you compare prices
- How long the appointment is. Lists in our sample ranged from 30 minutes (the London podiatry clinic) to up to an hour (the Foot Health Practitioner in Northampton and the university student clinic in Bournemouth).
- What is included. Nails only, or nails, hard skin, corns and cream? Hands extra?
- First-visit prices, which are often higher.
- Travel charges and distance for home visits.
- Cancellation rules. Age UK Barnet, for example, says cancellations within 48 hours and missed appointments are still chargeable.
- Who will treat you, what qualification they hold and which register they are on.
What this table does not tell you
Eleven price lists are a sample, not a survey. Small businesses change prices without notice, and several pages showed no date, so treat every figure as "what the page said on 10 November 2026". We took each business's description of who treats at face value and did not check individual registrations. Prices say nothing about quality, experience or results, and we did not contact any of the businesses. Only businesses that publish prices could be included, so services that quote by phone are missing. The London figure comes from a single clinic, so it shows that London can cost more, not what London typically costs.
How we checked
On 10 November 2026 we searched for UK Foot Health Practitioners and private podiatry clinics that publish prices on their own websites, and kept those that showed a price and a town that day. We left out pages with no prices, aggregator and directory listings, price lists marked as expired, prices only available as PDF downloads, lists with no routine treatment price, and any business in Doncaster. We have not named the practices; we read each one's published price list on 10 November 2026 and keep a record of where each figure came from. We read six local Age UK nail cutting pages, three NHS trusts' podiatry eligibility pages and the NHS page on ingrown toenails. NICE's website refused automated reading, so we read guideline NG19 through the UK Government Web Archive's copy of the same page and link to NICE itself. We link to every Age UK, NHS and NICE page we use. We did not contact any of the businesses.
Where Fairy Feet fits
Fairy Feet is run by Marianna Tapai FHP, a qualified Level 4 Foot Health Practitioner who has worked with nails and feet since 2006, from her own studio in Doncaster, with a call-out option for home visits. Get in touch through the contact form; there is no online booking.
Fairy Feet's own prices, filled in from today's price list: a Foot Health Treatment / Medical Pedicure is £39.99, and the call-out fee for a home visit is £19.99 on top of the treatment. Every treatment and price is on the treatments page.
Fairy Feet is not the answer if you qualify for free NHS podiatry, if you only need nails cut and a local Age UK service suits you, or if you need nail surgery, local anaesthetic or a prescription, which need an HCPC-registered podiatrist. Marianna is a Foot Health Practitioner, not a podiatrist.
Questions people ask
How much does a foot health practitioner cost in the UK?
On the five Foot Health Practitioner price lists we checked in November 2026, a routine clinic appointment cost £30 to £50 and a home visit £35 to £60. First appointments can cost a little more, and prices vary with what is included and how far the practitioner travels.
Is a home visit more expensive than going to a clinic?
Often, but not always. Of the five businesses in our sample that list both, three charged £3 to £13 more for a home visit, and one charged £5 less at home than in its clinic. Some add a petrol charge or only visit within a few miles.
Do pensioners get free foot care on the NHS?
Not because of age alone. NHS podiatry is free but limited to people with a clinical need, such as diabetes with foot risk, poor circulation, ulcers or ingrown toenails needing treatment. Several NHS services say routine nail cutting, even if you cannot reach your feet, is not covered.
How much does nail surgery cost privately?
On the three price lists in our sample that showed it, nail surgery cost £255 to £490. It is done by HCPC-registered podiatrists under local anaesthetic, and ingrowing toenails that need treatment may be covered by NHS podiatry where you live.
How much does Age UK charge to cut toenails?
It depends on the branch. The six we checked charged £15 to £33.50 per appointment, with home visits at the top of the range, and some add a one-off charge of £8 to £17 for your own clippers and file.
Sources
- Nail cutting. Age UK Barnet, checked 10 November 2026.
- Nail cutting. Age UK Waltham Forest, checked 10 November 2026.
- Footcare. Age UK Somerset, checked 10 November 2026.
- Toe nail cutting. Age UK Oxfordshire, checked 10 November 2026.
- Footcare service. Age UK Milton Keynes, checked 10 November 2026.
- Toenail cutting service. Age UK Northamptonshire, checked 10 November 2026.
- Podiatry eligibility. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, checked 10 November 2026.
- Community podiatry and specialist services. Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, checked 10 November 2026.
- Podiatry. Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, checked 10 November 2026.
- Diabetic foot problems: prevention and management (NG19), recommendations. NICE, August 2015, last updated October 2019.
- Ingrown toenail. NHS, reviewed 30 June 2025.