Eye surgery · Bolton
Cataract surgery in Bolton: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
from£2,000
Bridgewater Hospital, Manchester · 12 miles away
Typical price
£2,622
The middle of 12 published cataract surgery prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait so far
11 weeks
Half the people on the ophthalmology list at Bolton had waited longer than this (August 2026).
Time waited so far by everyone on the list. It can’t tell you your own wait.
Prices near Bolton
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Bridgewater Hospital
Manchester · 12 miles away
from£2,000Cataract surgery (per eye)
What’s included: A “from” price per eye. Optical Express says the first consultation is free. Check with the clinic what’s included for your lens choice.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Bridgewater Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included Free -
The Beaumont Hospital
Lostock Bolton · 2.7 miles away
£2,035Cataract removal & lens implant - one eye
What’s included: Circle’s guide price. Circle says it covers your first consultation, the operation and care after you go home (first consultation £200). Not included: tests before treatment. Circle confirms the final price after your consultation.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, The Beaumont Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £200 Diagnostic Investigations Not included Not included Main treatment Included £1,835 · Not included Post discharge care Included Included · Included -
The Highfield Hospital
Rochdale · 11 miles away
£2,035Cataract removal & lens implant - one eye
What’s included: Circle’s guide price. Circle says it covers your first consultation, the operation and care after you go home (first consultation £200). Not included: tests before treatment. Circle confirms the final price after your consultation.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, The Highfield Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £200 Diagnostic Investigations Not included Not included Main treatment Included £1,835 · Not included Post discharge care Included Included · Included -
The Beardwood Hospital
Blackburn · 12 miles away
£2,035Cataract removal & lens implant - one eye
What’s included: Circle’s guide price. Circle says it covers your first consultation, the operation and care after you go home (first consultation £200). Not included: tests before treatment. Circle confirms the final price after your consultation.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, The Beardwood Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £200 Diagnostic Investigations Not included Not included Main treatment Included £1,835 · Not included Post discharge care Included Included · Included -
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Rochdale
Rochdale · 12 miles away
£2,099Cataract surgery – standard monofocal lens
What’s included: A fixed treatment price. The first consultation costs £145 on top; Practice Plus says that includes a nurse assessment, any blood tests and swabs needed, and an X-ray if required.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Practice Plus Group Hospital, Rochdale Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Not included £145 (charged separately) -
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Rochdale
Rochdale · 12 miles away
£2,249Cataract surgery – enhanced monofocal lens
What’s included: A fixed treatment price. The first consultation costs £145 on top; Practice Plus says that includes a nurse assessment, any blood tests and swabs needed, and an X-ray if required.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Practice Plus Group Hospital, Rochdale Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Not included £145 (charged separately) -
Optegra Manchester Eye Hospital
Didsbury · 13 miles away
£2,995Standard Cataract Treatment (per eye)
What’s included: A fixed price per eye. Optegra says the package includes a free consultation and eye tests, the surgery, and aftercare with follow-up appointments and any medicines needed; laser treatment for clouding (YAG) within one or two years if needed, depending on the package.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Optegra Manchester Eye Hospital Stage In the price? As published Surgery and follow-up aftercare Included -
Optegra Preston
Preston · 13 miles away
£2,995Standard Cataract Treatment (per eye)
What’s included: A fixed price per eye. Optegra says the package includes a free consultation and eye tests, the surgery, and aftercare with follow-up appointments and any medicines needed; laser treatment for clouding (YAG) within one or two years if needed, depending on the package.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Optegra Preston Stage In the price? As published Surgery and follow-up aftercare Included -
Spire Manchester Hospital
Manchester · 13 miles away
from£3,275Cataract surgery with eyesight correction
What’s included: Spire’s fixed self-pay package. Spire says it covers tests before your operation, the surgeon’s and anaesthetist’s fees, nursing, medicines and food during your stay, and any standard implant, plus aftercare: follow-up appointments, stitches, dressings and up to 14 days of medicines. The first consultation is £224 on top.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Spire Manchester Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £224 Treatment Included from £3,051 Aftercare Included Included -
Optegra Manchester Eye Hospital
Didsbury · 13 miles away
£3,695Enhanced Cataract Treatment (per eye)
What’s included: A fixed price per eye. Optegra says the package includes a free consultation and eye tests, the surgery, and aftercare with follow-up appointments and any medicines needed; laser treatment for clouding (YAG) within one or two years if needed, depending on the package.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Optegra Manchester Eye Hospital Stage In the price? As published Surgery and follow-up aftercare Included -
Optegra Preston
Preston · 13 miles away
£3,695Enhanced Cataract Treatment (per eye)
What’s included: A fixed price per eye. Optegra says the package includes a free consultation and eye tests, the surgery, and aftercare with follow-up appointments and any medicines needed; laser treatment for clouding (YAG) within one or two years if needed, depending on the package.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Optegra Preston Stage In the price? As published Surgery and follow-up aftercare Included -
Oaklands Hospital
Salford · 8.1 miles away
from£4,347Cataract Surgery with Eyesight Correction as Inpatient
What’s included: Ramsay calls this a guide price (a “from” price). Its page doesn’t list what’s included, so check with the hospital.
Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of Bolton.
Hospital by hospital
The Beaumont Hospital, Lostock Bolton, 2.7 miles away (Circle Health Group; CQC Good, report June 2025). Cataract surgery £2,035 (first consultation £200 included; tests before treatment not included; aftercare included), £35 above the local lowest.
Oaklands Hospital, Salford, 8.1 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report July 2026). Cataract surgery from £4,347 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £2,347 above the local lowest.
The Highfield Hospital, Rochdale, 11 miles away (Circle Health Group; CQC Outstanding, report August 2022). Cataract surgery £2,035 (first consultation £200 included; tests before treatment not included; aftercare included), £35 above the local lowest.
Bridgewater Hospital, Manchester, 12 miles away (Optical Express; CQC Good, report January 2022). Cataract surgery from £2,000, the lowest locally.
The Beardwood Hospital, Blackburn, 12 miles away (Circle Health Group; CQC Good, report February 2026). Cataract surgery £2,035 (first consultation £200 included; tests before treatment not included; aftercare included), £35 above the local lowest.
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Rochdale, Rochdale, 12 miles away (Practice Plus Group; CQC Outstanding, report April 2017). Cataract surgery £2,099 (Cataract surgery – standard monofocal lens) or £2,249 (Cataract surgery – enhanced monofocal lens), £99 above the local lowest.
Optegra Manchester Eye Hospital, Didsbury, 13 miles away (Optegra; CQC Good, report August 2022). Cataract surgery £2,995 (Standard Cataract Treatment (per eye)) or £3,695 (Enhanced Cataract Treatment (per eye)), £995 above the local lowest.
Optegra Preston, Preston, 13 miles away (Optegra; not yet rated by CQC). Cataract surgery £2,995 (Standard Cataract Treatment (per eye)) or £3,695 (Enhanced Cataract Treatment (per eye)), £995 above the local lowest.
Spire Manchester Hospital, Manchester, 13 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Outstanding, report October 2022). Cataract surgery from £3,275 (first consultation £224 included; aftercare included), £1,275 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
Cataract surgery: 12 local prices span £2,347, from £2,000 to £4,347; the UK median across 187 published prices is £2,995. The nearest, The Beaumont Hospital, is £35 dearer than the cheapest.
Within 5 miles of central Bolton: The Beaumont Hospital (2.7 miles).
5 to 10 miles of central Bolton: Oaklands Hospital (8.1 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Bolton: The Highfield Hospital (11 miles), Bridgewater Hospital (12 miles), The Beardwood Hospital (12 miles), Practice Plus Group Hospital, Rochdale (12 miles), Optegra Manchester Eye Hospital (13 miles), Optegra Preston (13 miles) and Spire Manchester Hospital (13 miles).
Typical for cataract surgery: usually a day case.
Tip: count the journeys for the consultation, the procedure and follow-up when weighing a cheaper hospital further away.
Private or NHS?
- Cost. cataract surgery £2,000 to £4,347 at 9 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. Bolton: half had waited over 11 weeks; 9 in 10 within 32 weeks. England: 10 weeks.
Private hospitals usually ask for a referral letter or a consultation first. Not sure which is right for you? Your GP can refer you on the NHS and talk through your options.
The NHS wait near Bolton
| NHS trust | Median wait | Under 18 weeks | Over a year | 9 in 10 within | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolton NHS Foundation Trust | 11.1 wks | 70.5% | 45 | 32 wks | 5,036 |
| Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 6.8 wks | 81.5% | 5 | 27 wks | 1,595 |
| England | 10.4 wks | 72.2% | 5,022 | 33 wks | 625,063 |
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, 2.4 miles from Bolton: 5,036 people on the ophthalmology list, 70.5% within 18 weeks, 45 over a year, nine in ten within 32 weeks.
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 8.3 miles from Bolton: 1,595 people on the ophthalmology list, 81.5% within 18 weeks, 5 over a year, nine in ten within 27 weeks.
These figures cover everyone on the trust’s ophthalmology list, not only people waiting for cataract surgery, and describe time waited so far, not how long a new referral will take.
Source: NHS England, Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times, August 2026 data, published 8 October 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Month-by-month figures: Bolton NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 8 independent eye clinics and hospitals registered with the CQC to do surgery within 12 miles: 1 outstanding, 4 good, 3 not yet rated. 1 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 8 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpaMedica Limited | 0.7 miles | Good | No |
| Visualase Laser Eye Clinic | 1.0 miles | Good | No |
| Newmedica Community Ophthalmology Service | 10 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Optimax Laser Eye Clinics - Manchester | 11 miles | Good | No |
| SpaMedica Manchester | 11 miles | Good | No |
| SpaMedica Haydock | 11 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Community Health and Eyecare Limited (CHEC - Accrington) | 12 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Practice Plus Group Ophthalmology | 12 miles | Outstanding | Yes |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask The Beardwood Hospital, The Beaumont Hospital and The Highfield Hospital what tests before treatment would cost: their published breakdown lists them as not included.
- Ask Oaklands Hospital for an itemised quote, as its price is published as a single figure.
- For cataract surgery, weigh Bridgewater Hospital (12 miles) against The Beaumont Hospital (2.7 miles): the £35 saving comes with a longer trip, so ask each how many follow-up visits are included.
- Ask whether the price is per eye and which lens it includes.
Nearby
Cataract surgery in nearby places
- Preston 17 miles
- Liverpool 24 miles
- Bradford 31 miles
- Chester 33 miles
- Lancaster 35 miles
- Stoke-on-Trent 43 miles
- Ripon 53 miles
- Telford 62 miles
Other treatments near Bolton
This page also covers 4 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Radcliffe, Atherton, Tyldesley, Little Lever.
Where these figures come from
Prices: from each hospital’s own price page and breakdown on the date shown next to each price. We store the price, what the page says it includes, the link and the date.
Each hospital group describes its prices differently (guide prices, fixed packages or “from” prices), so read what’s included before comparing totals.
Clinic details and ratings: CQC register (HSCA Active Locations, downloaded 9 November 2026), Open Government Licence v3.0. A rating describes the whole location, not one treatment.
Source: NHS England, Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times, August 2026 data, published 8 October 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Month-by-month figures: Bolton NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Typical price is the middle (median) of the published prices within 25 miles, shown only when there are at least four.
Independent. We’re not part of the NHS or any hospital, we’re not clinicians, and nothing here is medical advice. Hospitals can’t pay to appear or to change their position.