Your Colonoscopy Results: What Happens Next

After a colonoscopy at LivingCare's Thorpe Park Clinic in Leeds, you can discuss the immediate results with the consultant before you go home. You'll be given a written report, and if a small tissue sample (a biopsy) was taken, you'll have a follow-up appointment for those results. If you need treatment afterwards, you can have it with us or go back to the NHS - paying for a test privately doesn't affect your right to NHS care [1].

More people are likely to be offered a colonoscopy following routine investigations: as the NHS makes its bowel screening test more sensitive, it expects to offer 35% more screening colonoscopies each year [2]. Waiting for results is often the part people worry about most. Here is what happens, step by step, so you know what to expect.

What Will I Be Told On The Day Of My Colonoscopy?

Straight after your colonoscopy, you'll rest in the recovery room while we monitor your blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels. You'll then be able to discuss the immediate results with a consultant - what they saw during the procedure, whether any biopsies were taken and whether any ongoing treatment may be required.

If you had sedation, a responsible adult will need to drive you home and stay with you for 24 hours. You must avoid alcohol, operating machinery and making important life decisions.

When Will I Get My Written Report And Biopsy Results?

• On the day: you can discuss the immediate results with a consultant before you leave.
• Your written report: your report is given to you at the point of leaving.
• Biopsy results: a biopsy is a small sample of tissue taken during the colonoscopy and checked in a laboratory. If biopsies are taken, you'll have a scheduled follow-up appointment for the results once they are back. Biopsy results can take varying amounts of time, depending on the type of biopsy and whether the sample requires routine or urgent analysis. While some results may be available sooner, others can take up to six weeks. Once your results are available, our clinical and nursing teams will explain the findings, answer any questions you may have and discuss any recommended next steps, including further investigations or treatment where appropriate.
• Your GP: your report will be shared with your GP unless you say otherwise.

If you'd like a copy of your procedure images, let us know and we'll send these promptly.

For comparison, the NHS says you should get a letter or a call with your results 2 to 3 weeks after an NHS colonoscopy [3].

What Can Colonoscopy Results Show?

Your consultant will explain what your own results mean for you.

Dr Nick Burr, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Endoscopist at LivingCare, explained: "My aim is that nobody leaves the clinic unsure what happened during their colonoscopy. I'll talk you through the findings on the day, and if we need to wait for a biopsy, we'll already have a plan for what happens next, whether that's with us or back through the NHS."

• Normal. No growths (polyps), inflammation or cancer have been found in your bowel.
• Polyps. Polyps are commonly found. They are small growths on the lining of the bowel. Once they've been sampled or removed, your results will say whether any further treatment is needed, and some people are offered colonoscopies in future to keep an eye on things [3]. If your consultant finds polyps, they will explain the findings and any treatment you need.
• Another condition. Results can point to other conditions, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (types of inflammatory bowel disease), or diverticular disease (small pouches in the wall of the bowel) [3].
• Cancer. After an NHS colonoscopy, the NHS says that if your results show cancer, you'll see a cancer specialist for treatment as soon as possible [3]. Your private consultant will talk you through what was found and the next steps, including a referral to a cancer specialist, privately or through the NHS - your choice.

Can I Go Back To The NHS After A Private Colonoscopy?

Yes. Choosing to pay for a test privately doesn't affect your right to NHS care. Government guidance says that where a patient opts to pay for private care, "their entitlement to NHS services remains and may not be withdrawn" [1]. People who move between private and NHS care should not be put at any advantage or disadvantage and are entitled to NHS services on the same basis of clinical need as anyone else [1].

If you need NHS care, we'll explain how your results are passed on. This may mean a letter to your GP, a direct referral to an NHS consultant, or an urgent suspected cancer referral.

From there, your GP or NHS team will decide what they need. That might be your LivingCare report, or it might include tests of their own - it depends on your situation, and it's their decision. Having a copy of your report and images makes it easy to share what has already been done.

Choosing a private colonoscopy doesn't commit you to private treatment afterwards. If you need further treatment, you can carry on with us or return to the NHS pathway. The guidance keeps private and NHS care as separate as possible, and you pay for any private care you choose [1].

When Should I Get Help After A Colonoscopy?

Contact the LivingCare team or get medical help if you notice any of these warning signs:

• Severe abdominal pain
• Abdominal swelling or bloating
• Fever above 38°C
• Unable to pass a bowel movement
• Heavy rectal bleeding
• Persistent nausea or vomiting
• Signs of dehydration (such as dizziness, excessive thirst, or dark urine)

LivingCare is a specialist outpatient service, not an emergency care facility. The NHS advises going to A&E or calling 999 if you're bleeding non-stop or there's a lot of blood - for example, the toilet water turns red or you see large blood clots [4]. For urgent advice that isn't an emergency, you can call 111 or get help from 111 online [4].

Speak To A Gastroenterology Consultant In Leeds

If you're weighing up a colonoscopy, or want to understand what a result could mean for you, a Gastroenterology Consultation costs £200. A colonoscopy at LivingCare costs £2,250, including your initial consultation and referral, and takes place at our Thorpe Park Clinic in Leeds.

Self-pay, no GP referral needed. If you're using private medical insurance, you'll need a referral letter from your GP - our private GP service can provide this. Find out more about our Gastroenterology service, or book your consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the NHS repeat my private colonoscopy? We can't say in advance. It's for your GP or NHS team to decide what they need, based on your situation. Having a copy of your report and images to share can help, and going private doesn't affect your right to NHS care [1].

Can I get a copy of my report and images? Yes. If you'd like a copy of your report or images, let us know and we'll send these promptly.

If something is found, do I have to pay for my treatment privately? No. Choosing a private colonoscopy doesn't commit you to private treatment afterwards. You can carry on with us or return to the NHS pathway, and you are entitled to NHS care on the same basis of clinical need as anyone else [1].

Do I need a GP referral for a colonoscopy at LivingCare? Self-pay, no GP referral needed. If you're using private medical insurance, you'll need a referral letter from your GP.

References

1. Department of Health - Guidance on NHS patients who wish to pay for additional private care, published 23 March 2009: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patients-who-wish-to-pay-for-additional-private-care
2. NHS England - NHS to detect and prevent thousands more bowel cancers with more sensitive screening, 26 January 2026: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2026/01/nhs-detect-prevent-thousands-more-bowel-cancers-more-sensitive-screening/
3. NHS - Colonoscopy: results. Page last reviewed 14 November 2022: https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/colonoscopy/results/
4. NHS - Bleeding from the bottom (rectal bleeding). Page last reviewed 12 April 2023: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bleeding-from-the-bottom-rectal-bleeding/

This article is for general information and is not sponsored content.