If you’re considering private cataract surgery in the Bristol area, you can find everything you need to know here.
Although cataract surgery can be carried out on the NHS, it’s something that many people choose to have done privately. In the Bristol area alone, more than 6,000 private cataract procedures were carried out last year. There are several hospitals in the area offering the procedure. Here we take a closer look at what’s on offer.
Cataract surgery options in and around Bristol
Our data shows eleven hospitals offering private cataract surgery within 25 miles of Bristol. As well as in Bristol city centre itself – the Newmedica Bristol Eye Health Clinic & Surgical Centre, the Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, and Spire Bristol Hospital – there are a further five located within an hour’s drive of the city. These include locations such as Bath, Tetbury and Shepton Mallet. See the full list of hospitals. St Joseph's Hospital carries out the most private cataract procedures in the area, with 1370 admissions in the past year.
According to our data, there are 51 consultant surgeons offering private cataract surgery in the Bristol area, with many consultants operating at more than one hospital. Spire Bristol Hospital has the broadest choice, with five practising consultants. Mr Daniel Morris, based in Cardiff, has performed the most private cataract surgery procedures in the area according to the data we hold – with 830 admissions over the past year. You can view our data for all the consultants performing private cataract surgery in this area on our website.
Cost of your initial consultation
You need to have an initial consultation with a surgeon to assess your eye health, before you can go ahead with cataract surgery. There’s usually a set fee for this, and separate costs for the surgery itself. If you have private health insurance, check whether it covers the initial consultation fee.
Costs of cataract surgery and consultants’ fees vary around the country. In the Bristol area, data from PHIN shows you can expect to pay around £200 for an initial consultation. This varies between consultants. You can find initial consultation fees for individual consultants on their profile page.
Self-funding cataract surgery
If you decide to go ahead with cataract surgery, there are two ways of paying for private treatment. The most common method for cataract surgery is to self-fund your treatment directly. You may be charged for this in two different ways.
- A ‘fee-per-service’ arrangement. This is the traditional way of paying for treatment. It means you’ll receive separate invoices from the surgeon, the anaesthetist and the hospital. You often won’t know the full costs until you receive the invoices – it can be difficult to get an exact price beforehand.
- An all-inclusive ‘package price’. With this option, you’ll be given a full guide price including all the fees, before undergoing treatment. Not all consultants and hospitals offer this.
All of the hospitals offering private cataract surgery in the Bristol area advertise guide package prices. The average is £2,681, but this ranges from £1,995 to £3,770 for surgery on one eye. When you’re looking at package prices for cataract surgery, it’s important to check what extras it covers – including any tests you may need and aftercare. The cost of your treatment may differ depending on several things, including your consultant and the type of lens you have.
Hospitals often offer finance options to spread the cost of your treatment over a period of time. Ask the hospital where you’re seeking treatment whether this is available.
For more information about self-funding treatment, see our guide to self-pay.
Paying through insurance
The other way of paying for private treatment is through private medical insurance, or PMI. Most insurance policies cover cataract surgery, unless it’s a pre-existing condition. But it’s important to check with your own insurer exactly what they will cover and whether you will need to pay any excess. Read our guide on paying for treatment through insurance for more information.
Important notes
The information in this article is based on hospitals within 25 miles of the centre of Bristol, and the consultants that treat private patients at each hospital. This is available to search through PHIN’s website. If a hospital or consultant is not searchable on our website, this may be because they are in breach of legal duties set out by the Competition and Markets Authority.
The data is based on PHIN’s data on patient admissions that took place between 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023. The costs of initial consultant fees were provided directly by consultants to PHIN. Information on guide package prices was collected through an internet search of local hospitals.
This article was last updated on 19 March 2024, and some details may have changed since.
