Most GP practices in England no longer treat verrucas, and NHS podiatry for them is limited to people at risk, such as those with diabetes. The NHS advice is to try a pharmacy treatment first and see a GP only if the verruca is very painful, bleeding, changing or keeps coming back. For everyone else who wants a verruca treated, the practical route is a private podiatrist, where a treatment session typically starts at £50.
Key facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Will a GP treat a verruca? | Usually not in England; it depends on local funding |
| NHS first step | A pharmacist, who can recommend salicylic acid treatment |
| Who gets NHS podiatry | Mainly people with diabetes, poor circulation or a weakened immune system |
| Private cost | Verruca treatment session from £50 across 124 UK clinics (Oct 2026) |
| Need a referral to go private? | No; book a registered podiatrist directly |
What does the NHS say about verrucas?
The NHS website’s advice on warts and verrucas is short:
- Most go away on their own, though this can take months or years.
- A pharmacist can recommend creams, plasters or sprays, which can take up to three months and do not always work.
- See a GP if you are worried about a growth, it keeps coming back, it is very large or painful, it bleeds or changes, or it is on your face or genitals.
- A GP may freeze it, but the NHS advises checking whether the NHS pays for this treatment in your area. A GP may refer you to a podiatrist for a large or painful verruca.
The phrase about checking whether the NHS pays is the key one. Many integrated care boards in England list wart and verruca removal among procedures of limited clinical value, which means they do not fund it in general practice except in specific circumstances.
Why don’t GPs treat verrucas any more?
GPs have largely stopped treating verrucas for three reasons:
- They are harmless. A verruca does not threaten health and most clear on their own, so NHS money goes to things that do.
- Freezing in general practice is not very effective on the sole of the foot. Trials show it is about as good as salicylic acid, which you can buy for £6, and it takes several appointments.
- GP appointments are scarce. Ten minutes spent freezing a verruca is ten minutes not spent on something that needs a doctor.
Some practices still offer cryotherapy. It costs nothing to ask the receptionist. If they do, expect two or three sessions a few weeks apart, and expect it to hurt.
Who can still get NHS treatment for a verruca?
NHS podiatry services generally accept referrals for verrucas only where the person is at risk of complications from a foot problem:
- Diabetes, especially with reduced feeling or poor circulation in the feet.
- Peripheral arterial disease or other circulation problems.
- A weakened immune system, for example after a transplant, during chemotherapy or with HIV.
- Rheumatoid arthritis or other conditions affecting the feet.
- Occasionally, a verruca so painful or extensive that it is affecting mobility.
If you are in one of these groups, do not use home acid or freezing treatments; speak to your GP or your diabetes team first, who can refer you.
Children are not an at-risk group for this purpose, and NHS podiatry rarely sees children for verrucas. Our guide to verrucas in children covers what to do instead.
What does the NHS route look like in practice?
- Pharmacy first. The pharmacist confirms it looks like a verruca and suggests a salicylic acid product. Twelve weeks of daily use.
- GP if it fails and is a problem. The GP confirms the diagnosis, checks there is nothing unusual about it, and may or may not offer freezing depending on local funding. If you are in an at-risk group, they refer you to NHS podiatry.
- Dermatology referral only for unusual, rapidly changing or very extensive verrucas, or where the diagnosis is in doubt.
For most people the honest outcome of step 2 is “it’s a verruca, it’s harmless, keep going with the pharmacy treatment or see a podiatrist privately”.
How much does private verruca treatment cost?
Private podiatrists treat verrucas every day and offer treatments the NHS does not fund: clinic-strength cryotherapy, stronger acids, Swift microwave therapy and needling. You do not need a referral; you book directly.
What it costs, from the clinics listed on verrucatreatment.co.uk (prices from clinic websites, checked October 2026):
| Treatment | Clinics with a published price | Typical starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Verruca treatment session (paring, acid or similar) | 124 | £50 |
| Cryotherapy (clinic freezing) | 19 | £50 |
| Swift microwave therapy, per session | 34 | £138 |
| Needling, one treatment | 48 | £258 |
| General chiropody appointment | 141 | £45 |
A first appointment usually includes assessment and a first treatment. Our guide to how to get rid of a verruca explains which treatment suits which verruca and how well each works.
How to choose a private podiatrist
Podiatrists and chiropodists in the UK must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), which sets training standards and can remove practitioners who fall short. Anyone offering verruca treatment who is not on the HCPC register is not a podiatrist, whatever they call themselves. Listings on verrucatreatment.co.uk show “Mentioned on their website: HCPC” where a clinic says it is registered; check the name on the HCPC register before you book.
Use the listings on verrucatreatment.co.uk to find a clinic near you; 799 of the 2,859 listed podiatry clinics say they treat verrucas.
Sources
- NHS: Warts and verrucas
- NHS England: Evidence-based interventions programme (national framework; wart and verruca funding is set by local integrated care board policies)
- Royal College of Podiatry: Verrucae
- Health and Care Professions Council: check the register
- Prices: clinic websites of listings on verrucatreatment.co.uk, checked October 2026. Starting prices, not quotes.