Cataract Surgery United Kingdom

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide in both men and women. Cataract eye clinics in the UK offer some of the most advanced treatment for cataracts. Renowned worldwide, many clinics in the UK attract international patients who travel to the UK for world-class cataract surgery.

An increasing number of UK patients who have access to cataract eye surgery free of charge through the NHS (National Health Service),  are choosing to seek private eye clinics for cataract extraction surgery to reduce the waiting time for operations, to receive more advanced treatments that are currently unavailable on the NHS such as Light Adjustable Lenses and to receive treatment at a more convenient location.

The price of cataract eye surgery in the UK is between £1200-3000 per eye, depending on the type of replacement eye lens used after the cataract extraction. Many UK eye clinics offer financing options to patients.

Why do UK patients choose private cataract eye surgery? 

NHS treatment provides an excellent choice for people who have no financial means to pay for cataract eye surgery, however receiving cataract eye surgery at a private hospital reduces the waiting time and could limit the amount of vision impairment caused by the cataract. 

The long waiting lists for cataract extraction surgery on the NHS mean many UK patients experience a waiting time that exceeds national guidelines. The recommended time frame for cataract removal is 3 months for the first cataract and within 6 months for extraction of a second cataract. With the lengthening waiting lists, many NHS hospitals fail to meet these guidelines and often UK patients wait up to a year for cataract surgery.

With NHS hospitals sharing waiting lists for cataract eye surgeries, cataract removal operation may be scheduled in an NHS hospital that is not local to the patient or may be scheduled at short notice due to a cancellation on the waiting list. 

The cloudy eye symptom of cataracts should disappear once the surgeon removes the cataract, however the eye drops used to dilate the pupil leave vision blurry and patients will have distorted vision for 4-6 hours after surgery.

If patients schedule an operation at a private cataract clinic, the location of the clinic is the patients choice -  making it easier to plan the route to and from the hospital and the date of the operation is also chosen by the patient so arrangements can be made for somebody to assist on the day of the cataract extraction surgery.

NHS surgeons are qualified to the same standards as private eye surgeons and the experience of NHS versus private surgeons should not be a consideration. However, NHS cataract eye surgeries are performed by a cataract team not one individual surgeon. This means that the surgeon patients consult at the your pre-operation consultation may not be the surgeon who operates. Choosing to have cataract extraction surgery at a private cataract clinic allows patients to meet the cataract surgeon who will perform the procedure.

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