We take you through the options for private cataract surgery in Norwich and the nearby area.
Cataract surgery is a very common elective (planned) procedure. Although you can have the surgery on the NHS, it’s a procedure that many people choose to have privately. 690 private cataract procedures were carried out in the Norwich area last year. Here we look at which hospitals near Norwich offer private cataract surgery, and the consultants who provide this service.
Cataract surgery options in and around Norwich
There four independent hospitals providing private cataract surgery in the area. Of the four, Spire Norwich Hospital, performed 430 cataract procedures last year. Spire Norwich is just four miles outside of Norwich, and has a Good rating with the Care Quality Commission. It serves patients all over Norfolk and East Anglia.
There is also an NHS hospital with a Private Patient Unit providing private cataract surgery near Norwich; the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (situated just outside Norwich).
According to our data, there are 12 consultant surgeons providing private cataract surgery in the Norwich area. Nine of these practise at Spire Norwich, giving you a wide range of consultants to choose from at this hospital. You can easily compare details for consultants offering cataract surgery in Norwich, including admissions data, services offered, patient feedback and fees, via our website.
Cost of your initial consultation
The first thing to do if you’re considering private cataract surgery is to book an initial consultation with a surgeon. They will assess your eye health and let you know if cataract surgery is an option for you. The fee for this initial consultation differs, depending on your consultant. If you have private health insurance, check whether an initial consultation is covered.
In the Norwich area, initial consultation fees for cataract surgery range between £150 and £255, with an average of around £200. You should be told the exact fee before your consultation. Estimated initial consultation fees are listed for individual consultants on their profile pages.
Self-funding cataract surgery
Should you go ahead with cataract surgery, there are two ways of paying for private treatment. The most common method is to self-fund your treatment directly. Your hospital may charge you 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.
Spire Norwich Hospital – which is the only independent hospital in the area offering cataract surgery – advertises a guide package price of £3,376. This includes the initial consultation and all aftercare too. Not all package prices include this, so it’s important to check. A guide price means it’s an estimation, and the fee you’re quoted may differ depending on your consultant, the exact treatment you have and other factors.
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 (PMI). Most insurance policies cover cataract surgery, unless it’s a pre-existing condition. If you have PMI, 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 Norwich, 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.
