| Clinic type | Package price | What it includes | Lens extra | Source | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eye-surgery clinic group (Practice Plus Group) | £2,099 per eye (standard monofocal lens) | Consultant fees, pre-op nurse review, anaesthetic, prescriptions, post-op appointments. Initial consultation £145 extra; diagnostic tests charged if needed. | Enhanced monofocal £2,249; toric £2,649; multifocal £2,949; extended depth of focus £3,099 (whole price per eye) | practiceplusgroup.com | 5 October 2026 |
| Eye-surgery clinic group (Newmedica) | £2,295 per eye (standard monofocal lens) | Consultant's fee, clinic facilities, lens, aftercare. Consultation free with cataract surgery. | Premium monofocal £2,795; toric £3,195; multifocal or extended depth of focus £3,595 (whole price per eye) | newmedica.co.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Hospital group (Nuffield Health) | £3,613 average guide price, one eye | Pre-assessment, operation, post-discharge care. Initial consultation from £200 extra. Nuffield says the final price may vary with consultant fees, prosthesis or drugs. | Not priced on the page we checked | nuffieldhealth.com | 5 October 2026 |
| Hospital group (Spire Healthcare, as read by TreatCompare) | £3,275 median across 31 hospitals (range £2,757–£5,631), one eye | TreatCompare says Spire's wording includes the consultant fee and initial consultation. | Not separated in the figure | treatcompare.com | 5 October 2026 |
Each row is the provider's own published figure, except Spire, which we could not find on Spire's national page and show as TreatCompare reports it. Spire and Nuffield count different things in their prices, so we do not average them. Listing a clinic does not mean it is a partner of ours. We delete any row we cannot re-check. Full list on Sources.
What we can and cannot do
We are not a clinic, not the NHS, not an optician and not a surgeon. We do not operate, diagnose, refer or hold a date. Nothing here is medical advice, and we cannot tell you whether you need surgery or how bad a cataract is. Only an optician or eye surgeon who examines you can do that.
Sudden loss of vision, a curtain across your sight, flashes with a shower of floaters, or a painful red eye need help now, not a form. Go to A&E or call 999.
For driving, check the DVLA eyesight guidance; we do not give driving rules. A private date does not cancel an NHS listing unless you choose to come off the NHS list.
What we can do: explain prices, what packages include and clinic types, and, if you ask, pass your request to one independent eye clinic or hospital that covers your area so it can contact you. Free for you. The clinic may pay us.
Four steps to a private cataract assessment
- One eye or both. Prices are usually per eye. Ask how the second eye is priced; see second eye.
- What the package includes. Check the first consultation, tests, lens type, aftercare and later laser. See what is included.
- Clinic type. Eye-surgery clinic group or private hospital. Compare the price on the same lens and the same inclusions. See cost.
- Ask one clinic to contact you. Use the form. One partner clinic may call or email you. Nothing is booked, and no date is held, until you agree it with the clinic.
How much is private cataract surgery per eye in each English city?
PHIN's figures are averages of the package prices hospitals publish within 25 miles of each city centre. They are a guide, not a quote.
| City (centre + 25 miles) | Average package, per eye | Source | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £3,074 | phin.org.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Birmingham | £3,045 | phin.org.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Bristol | £3,034 | phin.org.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Leeds | £3,006 | phin.org.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Cambridge | £2,955 | phin.org.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Liverpool | £2,914 | phin.org.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Manchester | £2,870 | phin.org.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Norwich | £2,642 | phin.org.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | £2,621 | phin.org.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Sheffield | £2,522 | phin.org.uk | 5 October 2026 |
PHIN page last updated 22 April 2026; PHIN says prices may have changed since and are a guide only. PHIN publishes no figure for Nottingham, Leicester, Southampton, Brighton, Oxford or Reading, so we show none.
Why do private cataract prices differ so much?
Mostly because the headline figure covers different things. Nuffield Health says its guide price may vary with consultant fees, prosthesis or drugs, and that its initial consultation is from £200 on top. TreatCompare says Spire's published wording includes the consultant fee and the initial consultation. Those are not like-for-like, so we show them separately and never as one average.
Dates matter too. TreatCompare read Nuffield's hospitals on 5 October 2026 and gives a median of £3,545 across 26 hospitals; Nuffield's own page, checked 5 October 2026, gives an average guide price of £3,613. Both may be right for the day they were read.
What is often extra?
- The first consultation. PHIN says it is typically £180 to £250 and not always in the package. Practice Plus Group charges £145; Newmedica says its cataract price includes a free consultation.
- Tests after the consultation. Practice Plus Group says there will be a charge for any diagnostic tests needed as a result of the consultation.
- A different lens. Toric, multifocal and extended depth of focus lenses are priced higher. See lenses.
- A later laser. If the capsule behind the lens clouds later, a YAG laser is a separate treatment. Newmedica lists £495 for one eye; Practice Plus Group lists £799.
How much is it for both eyes?
Prices are usually quoted per eye. Practice Plus Group lists "cataract surgery – bilateral" at £3,149 on its price list; we have not seen a both-eyes price on the other pages we checked. Ask the clinic how it prices the second eye. See second eye.
Can I use private medical insurance?
PHIN says private cataract surgery is often covered by private medical insurance, but you should check your policy and speak to your insurer about any extra costs. Tick "insured" on the form if that applies.
How many people pay for cataract surgery privately?
PHIN's June 2026 market update counts 80,875 private cataract admissions in the UK in 2025, of which 49,655 were self-pay, up from 44,735 in 2024. PHIN calls cataract surgery the most common reason to be admitted to a private hospital. Its September 2026 update counts 22,805 cataract admissions in January to March 2026, up 12.8% on a year earlier.
How much is private cataract surgery per eye in England?
The lowest standard monofocal price we verified on a clinic's own page on 5 October 2026 was £2,099 per eye at Practice Plus Group, plus a £145 consultation. Newmedica lists £2,295. PHIN's average package prices for English cities run from £2,522 to £3,074 per eye, collected March 2026.
Is the consultation included in the price?
Not always. PHIN says a package does not always include your first consultation, which typically costs £180 to £250. Get the total in writing before you pay.
Do toric or multifocal lenses cost more?
Yes, at the clinics we checked. Newmedica lists a toric lens at £3,195 and multifocal or extended depth of focus lenses at £3,595 per eye, against £2,295 for a standard lens. Practice Plus Group lists £2,649 to £3,099 against £2,099.
Why don't you give one average price for Spire and Nuffield?
Because they count different things. Spire's figure, as TreatCompare reports it, includes the consultant fee and first consultation; Nuffield says its guide price can vary with consultant fees, prosthesis or drugs. An average of the two would compare unlike prices.
Want one clinic to call you? Request a private cataract assessment. Free for you; the clinic may pay us.