Eye surgery · Brighton and Hove
Cataract surgery in Brighton and Hove: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£2,961
Goring Hall Hospital, Worthing · 14 miles away
Typical price
£3,262
The middle of 6 published cataract surgery prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait so far
17 weeks
Half the people on the ophthalmology list at University Hospitals Sussex 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 Brighton and Hove
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Goring Hall Hospital
Worthing · 14 miles away
£2,961Cataract 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, Goring Hall Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £200 Diagnostic Investigations Not included Not included Main treatment Included £2,761 · Included Post discharge care Included Included · Included -
Optegra Brighton Eye Clinic
Brighton · 1.9 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 Brighton Eye Clinic Stage In the price? As published Surgery and follow-up aftercare Included -
Spire Gatwick Park Hospital
Horley · 23 miles away
from£3,000Cataract 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 £219 on top.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Spire Gatwick Park Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £219 Treatment Included from £2,781 Aftercare Included Included -
Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital
Brighton · 1.2 miles away
£3,525Cataract Surgery - One Eye - Standard Lens
What’s included: Nuffield’s guide price for the treatment. Nuffield says tests before treatment are charged separately, and you get a fixed, all-inclusive price after your first consultation.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital Stage In the price? As published Diagnostic Investigations Not included Charged separately Main treatment Included £3,525 -
Optegra Brighton Eye Clinic
Brighton · 1.9 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 Brighton Eye Clinic Stage In the price? As published Surgery and follow-up aftercare Included -
Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital
Haywards Heath · 12 miles away
£3,950Cataract Surgery - One Eye - Standard Lens
What’s included: Nuffield’s guide price for the treatment. Nuffield says tests before treatment are charged separately, and you get a fixed, all-inclusive price after your first consultation.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital Stage In the price? As published Diagnostic Investigations Not included Charged separately Main treatment Included £3,950
Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of Brighton and Hove.
Hospital by hospital
Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital, Brighton, 1.2 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report December 2022). Cataract surgery £3,525 (tests before treatment not included), £564 above the local lowest.
Optegra Brighton Eye Clinic, Brighton, 1.9 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)), £34 above the local lowest.
Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital, Haywards Heath, 12 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report March 2017). Cataract surgery £3,950 (tests before treatment not included), £989 above the local lowest.
Goring Hall Hospital, Worthing, 14 miles away (Circle Health Group; CQC Good, report March 2022). Cataract surgery £2,961 (first consultation £200 included; tests before treatment not included; aftercare included), the lowest locally.
Spire Gatwick Park Hospital, Horley, 23 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report January 2022). Cataract surgery from £3,000 (first consultation £219 included; aftercare included), £39 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
Cataract surgery: 6 local prices span £989, from £2,961 to £3,950; the UK median across 187 published prices is £2,995. The nearest, Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital, is £564 dearer than the cheapest.
Within 5 miles of central Brighton and Hove: Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital (1.2 miles) and Optegra Brighton Eye Clinic (1.9 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Brighton and Hove: Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital (12 miles), Goring Hall Hospital (14 miles) and Spire Gatwick Park Hospital (23 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 £2,961 to £3,950 at 5 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. University Hospitals Sussex: half had waited over 17 weeks; 9 in 10 within 46 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 Brighton and Hove
| NHS trust | Median wait | Under 18 weeks | Over a year | 9 in 10 within | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust | 17.4 wks | 51.6% | 432 | 46 wks | 13,036 |
| Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust | 9.5 wks | 79.4% | 1 | 26 wks | 3,198 |
| England | 10.4 wks | 72.2% | 5,022 | 33 wks | 625,063 |
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 11 miles from Brighton and Hove: 13,036 people on the ophthalmology list, 51.6% within 18 weeks, 432 over a year, nine in ten within 46 weeks.
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, 26 miles from Brighton and Hove: 3,198 people on the ophthalmology list, 79.4% within 18 weeks, 1 over a year, nine in ten within 26 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: University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 3 independent eye clinics and hospitals registered with the CQC to do surgery within 25 miles: 1 good, 2 not yet rated. 1 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 3 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optegra Brighton Eye Clinic | 1.9 miles | Not yet rated | Yes |
| Optimax Laser Eye Clinics - Brighton | 3.2 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| SpaMedica Brighton | 8.5 miles | Good | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Goring Hall Hospital, Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital and Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital what tests before treatment would cost: their published breakdown lists them as not included.
- For cataract surgery, weigh Goring Hall Hospital (14 miles) against Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital (1.2 miles): the £564 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
- Crawley 19 miles
- Chichester 29 miles
- Maidstone 40 miles
- Slough 51 miles
- Basingstoke 52 miles
- Southampton 56 miles
- Watford 57 miles
- Southend-on-Sea 60 miles
Other treatments near Brighton and Hove
This page also covers 16 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Worthing, Eastbourne, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Lancing and Sompting, Seaford, Shoreham-by-Sea, Lewes, Peacehaven, Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint, Newhaven, Southwick, Polegate, Lower Willingdon, Henfield, Steyning.
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: University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS 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.