Can you get a knee or hip steroid injection on the NHS?

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Can you get a knee or hip steroid injection on the NHS?

General information only. Not medical, insurance or legal advice. Coverage rules and prices change, so confirm with your insurer or public health service (such as the NHS, HSE or Medicare) before booking, and ask your doctor whether a procedure is right for you.

Last checked: October 2026 · Protocol Archive Editorial · General information, not medical, insurance or legal advice

The national rule

NICE guideline NG226 says:

  • consider steroid injections into the joint when other pain medicines are ineffective or unsuitable, or to support therapeutic exercise
  • explain that they only give short-term relief, of 2 to 10 weeks
  • do not offer hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid) injections for osteoarthritis

The NHS osteoarthritis page says steroid injections may be offered when other treatments haven’t worked and can ease pain for several weeks or months.

Who gives them, and how often

Arthritis UK says steroid injections are given by a healthcare professional in a hospital, clinic or doctors’ surgery, and many don’t need ultrasound guidance. It says your doctor will probably recommend no more than three injections into the same part of the body in a year.

Hip injections are usually image-guided, with X-ray or ultrasound. For example, at Royal Berkshire your doctor or community MSK service refers you to radiology.

PRP

NICE says platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for knee osteoarthritis should only be used with special arrangements for consent and audit or research, because the evidence on how well they work is limited. Ask whether your local service offers them.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own policies. Ask your GP or health board how the rules apply where you live.

Frequently asked questions

Can my GP give me a knee injection?

Some GP surgeries give joint injections, and others refer to an MSK or orthopaedic service. Ask your practice.

How many steroid injections can I have in my knee?

Arthritis UK says your doctor will probably recommend no more than three in the same area within a year. Your clinician will advise on your situation.

What usually comes first

NICE recommends therapeutic exercise for everyone with osteoarthritis, and says steroid injections can be considered to support exercise. Relief from an injection is short-term, so the exercise plan matters most.

A physiotherapist can tailor an exercise plan to you.

Sources

  1. NICE guideline NG226: Osteoarthritis in over 16s, recommendations 1.4.9 and 1.4.10
  2. NHS: Osteoarthritis treatment
  3. Arthritis UK: Steroid injections
  4. Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust: Having a steroid hip injection (January 2025)
  5. NICE HTG497 (formerly IPG637): Platelet-rich plasma injections for knee osteoarthritis

Last checked October 2026. Found something out of date? Email hello@protocolarchive.com.

This page explains how coverage usually works, using public NHS, insurer, ombudsman and government sources listed above. It is general information, not medical, insurance, financial or legal advice, and it does not recommend any treatment, policy or provider. Rules differ by area and by policy and can change, so confirm with your GP, your insurer or the hospital before you decide. Protocol Archive is independent and is not affiliated with the NHS, the HSE or any insurer.