Coil Fitting in London 2026. Hormonal or Copper, What the Fitting Involves, How Much It Hurts and Who Should Not Have One

Reviewed by the medical team at The Wellness. Last updated 1 September 2026.

Ask which coil suits you or email team@thewellnesslondon.com or call 020 3951 3429.

Hormonal coil or copper coil

The hormonal coil releases a small daily dose of levonorgestrel into the womb, thins the lining and thickens cervical mucus, and most of the hormone stays local. It suits women who want lighter or absent periods, women with heavy or painful bleeding, and women over 45 who want contraception and the womb protection needed alongside oestrogen HRT, where a 52 milligram device covers both for 5 years. Around 1 in 5 users have no periods after a year and most of the rest have light ones.

The copper coil contains no hormone, works by making the womb inhospitable to sperm and egg, and suits women who want to avoid hormones altogether, who are breastfeeding, or who need emergency contraception within 5 days of unprotected sex, where it is more effective than any pill. Its cost is bleeding. Periods are typically heavier and longer, especially in the first 6 months, so it is the wrong choice for a woman whose problem is heavy periods already.

What the fitting involves and how much it hurts

The appointment starts with a consultation covering your history, your periods, the risk of pregnancy and a pregnancy test where needed, and a chlamydia and gonorrhoea test where the history warrants. The fitting itself takes around 5 to 10 minutes. A speculum is passed, the cervix is cleaned and held, the womb is measured and the coil is placed, and the threads are trimmed. Confirm local anaesthetic options and any separate fees before booking, because the 2023 FSRH guideline is clear that pain relief should be offered rather than requested.

Pain varies widely. Most women describe strong period-type cramping for a few minutes, some describe it as worse, and women who have not given birth vaginally tend to find it more painful. Taking a standard painkiller an hour before, eating beforehand, having the anaesthetic and having someone to travel home with all help. Around 1 in 20 women feel faint during or after, which is why you rest afterwards and are not rushed out. A fitting that is not going well is stopped, not forced.

Tell us your history and we will say which coil applies or email team@thewellnesslondon.com.

What happens after and when to call

Cramping and spotting for a few days to a few weeks is expected, and irregular bleeding for the first 3 to 6 months with the hormonal coil is normal. A follow-up check can assess the threads and device position; confirm its timing and any fee before booking. After that a coil needs no routine checks, and you can feel for the threads after each period if you wish. Contraceptive cover starts immediately for the copper coil and within 7 days for the hormonal coil unless it was fitted in the first 7 days of a cycle.

Call the same day for severe or worsening pain, a fever, offensive discharge, pain during sex, threads you can no longer feel or can feel much longer than before, or a missed period with a copper coil. Those are the signs of infection, expulsion or perforation, each uncommon and each needing to be seen, and ultrasound may be needed where the position is in doubt, with clinical urgency and availability determining timing.

Who should not have a coil and what not to buy

Current pelvic infection, an undiagnosed cause of abnormal bleeding, a pregnancy, a distorted womb cavity from large fibroids, and for the hormonal coil a current breast cancer are the reasons a coil is not fitted, and each is checked in the consultation. A coil is not wrong for women who have never been pregnant, for teenagers, or for women with a history of ectopic pregnancy, all of which are old objections the guideline has retired.

What not to buy is a fitting without a check. A coil fitted with no 6-week review is a coil nobody has confirmed is in place, and the 1 in 20 expulsion rate is highest in those first weeks. A removal and refit in the same appointment is fine and often preferable. And the free option is real. NHS sexual health clinics and many GP practices fit coils without charge, with waits of weeks to months in most of London, and we say so.

What does a coil fitting cost in London

At the top of the market, 12-month programmes with a retained doctor run to £31,995 for one person and £49,995 for a family, where contraception is one part of the year's care. Harley Street gynaecologist first appointments run £250 to £500 before the device, the fitting or the check, and private hospital coil fitting with a consultant commonly passes £700 once the device and follow-up are added.

Beneath that sits a tier defined by its conditions rather than its price, a fitting with no consultation beforehand, no anaesthetic offered and no 6-week check, and the NHS clinic that is free and good but booked out for weeks. At The Wellness, confirm fees, assessment, device, local anaesthetic and review arrangements before booking.

• Principal Programme: enquire for fees, duration and care arrangements.

• Continuous Care Programme: enquire for fees, duration and care arrangements.

• Targeted ultrasound where coil position needs confirming: confirm fees and imaging arrangements before booking.

• Coil fitting: confirm fees, assessment, device, local anaesthetic and review arrangements before booking.

• Implant fitting: confirm fees and assessment arrangements before booking.

• Extended consultation: confirm fees and appointment length before booking.

• Coil removal: confirm fees and assessment arrangements before booking.

• In-person consultation: confirm fees, appointment length and availability before booking.

• Phone consultations cost £59 and video consultations are from £150. Confirm appointment length and availability before booking.

Why The Wellness is the best coil fitting in London

Confirm consultation, appropriate pregnancy and infection testing, device, local anaesthetic and review fees before booking, including any separate charges. The doctor who fits the coil is the doctor who assessed you and the one who sees you at 6 weeks.

Pain is treated as a clinical problem rather than a rite of passage. Anaesthetic is offered to everyone, the fitting is stopped if it is not going well, and a woman who is anxious about it is booked an extended appointment so that nothing is rushed. Where position is in doubt, ultrasound may be arranged at a specialist centre with consultant reporting. Timing depends on clinical urgency and availability; confirm fees and arrangements before booking.

We also say when not to. A woman with heavy periods is steered away from the copper coil, a woman with a current infection is treated first, and a woman who would be well served by the free NHS clinic and can wait is told so. Places on the 12-month programmes are limited by the number of people one doctor can hold properly, so they begin with an allocation call.

Book a coil consultation and fitting or call 020 3951 3429.

Related reading

This page is one spoke of the Private GP in London hub. The implant is covered in Contraceptive Implant in London, heavy periods and the wider assessment in Women's Health Check in London, and the menopause conversation where a coil provides HRT womb protection on its own page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best coil fitting in London

Coil fitting should follow clinical assessment and discussion of pain relief. At The Wellness, confirm fitting and removal fees, device, local anaesthetic, review and any ultrasound arrangements before booking.

How much does a coil fitting cost in London

A Harley Street gynaecologist first appointment costs £250 to £500 before the device, and private hospital fitting with a consultant commonly passes £700 with the device and follow-up. NHS sexual health clinics fit coils free with waits of weeks. At The Wellness, confirm fitting fees, assessment, device, local anaesthetic and review arrangements before booking.

Does a coil fitting hurt

For most women it is strong cramping for a few minutes, worse for some, and more so in women who have not given birth vaginally. Local anaesthetic, a painkiller an hour before and not rushing all help, and a fitting that is not going well is stopped. At The Wellness, confirm fitting fees and local anaesthetic arrangements before booking.

How long does a coil last

The 52 milligram hormonal coil is licensed for 8 years for contraception and 5 years when used for HRT womb protection, and the copper coil for 10 years. Both can be removed at any time with a rapid return to fertility. At The Wellness, confirm removal and replacement fees, assessment and appointment arrangements before booking.

Can I have a coil if I have never had children

Yes. The 2023 Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare guideline supports coils in women who have never been pregnant and in teenagers, and the objection that they cause infertility was retired years ago. Fitting can be more uncomfortable, so anaesthetic and an unhurried appointment matter. At The Wellness, confirm coil fitting fees before booking.

Can I get a coil fitted for free

Yes. NHS sexual health clinics and many GP practices fit coils without charge, usually with a wait of weeks to months in London. At The Wellness, confirm fitting fees, availability, assessment, device, local anaesthetic and review arrangements before booking.

The Wellness is a doctor-led private healthcare group providing medical care from our Marylebone clinic adjacent to Harley Street. All doctors are GMC-registered. Imaging is arranged at specialist centres and reported by consultant radiologists, and blood analysis is performed by accredited laboratories. Severe pelvic pain with fever, heavy bleeding or fainting after a fitting need urgent care the same day. In an emergency call 999. This article is general information and not a substitute for medical advice about your own health.

Send us your question about coils or email team@thewellnesslondon.com or call 020 3951 3429.