| 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.
What does NICE say about the second eye?
NICE guideline NG77, opened 5 October 2026:
- Recommendation 1.6.2: "Offer second-eye cataract surgery using the same criteria as for the first-eye surgery."
- Recommendation 1.1.6: at the first appointment after surgery, people should be given information about second-eye surgery if there is a cataract in the other eye.
- Recommendation 1.9.1: services should have arrangements so that professionals discuss second-eye surgery with people who have a cataract in the other eye.
Can both eyes be done on the same day?
Sometimes, for selected people. It is not the default. NICE recommendation 1.6.3 says to consider surgery on both eyes at the same visit (bilateral simultaneous surgery) for "people who are at low risk of ocular complications during and after surgery" or "people who need to have general anaesthesia for cataract surgery but for whom general anaesthesia carries an increased risk of complications or distress".
NICE recommendation 1.6.4 says the risks and benefits should be discussed first, including that it is not possible to choose a different lens based on how the first eye turned out, the risk of complications in both eyes, and the likely need for more support afterwards. Whether it suits you is a decision for you and your surgeon.
Can I have the second eye done privately after the NHS did the first?
You can ask a private clinic for a consultation. Ask it what records from your first operation it needs, and whether it can match or complement the lens you already have. The NHS does not need to stop treating you, and a private date does not cancel an NHS listing unless you choose that.
How is the second eye priced?
Usually per eye. Practice Plus Group lists "cataract surgery – bilateral" at £3,149, against £2,099 for one eye with a standard lens. Newmedica and Nuffield Health list per-eye prices only on the pages we checked. Ask for both totals in writing. See cost.
Will the NHS do my second eye?
NICE guideline NG77 says second-eye surgery should be offered using the same criteria as for the first eye. Local waits differ by hospital.
Can I have both eyes done on the same day?
Some people can. NICE says to consider it for people at low risk of eye complications, or for some people who need a general anaesthetic, after discussing the risks. It is not the default.
How much is private surgery on the second eye?
Prices are usually per eye; PHIN's English city averages run £2,522 to £3,074. Practice Plus Group lists a both-eyes price of £3,149. Ask any clinic for the total for both eyes in writing.
Can I go private for one eye and stay on the NHS list for the other?
You can ask. A private date does not cancel an NHS listing unless you choose that, so tell the NHS hospital what you have had done and whether you still need its place.
Want one clinic to call you? Request a private cataract assessment. Free for you; the clinic may pay us.