Cataract surgery · Bristol
cataract surgery in Bristol: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
from£2,000
Optical Express - Bristol Hospital, Bristol · under 1 mile away
Typical price
£2,719
The middle of the 6 published prices within 25 miles.
Range £2,000 to £5,631.
NHS wait in Bristol
9 weeks
Half the people on the NHS eye care list at Bristol had waited longer than this so far (August 2026).
Covers all eye care, not only cataracts.
In short
None of the Bristol providers we profile publishes a price for cataract surgery that we could verify, so this page shows “price on request”. Checked 9 November 2026.
In August 2026, half of the 7,138 people on Bristol NHS Foundation Trust’s waiting list for NHS eye care (ophthalmology) had waited 8.8 weeks or less, and 75.9% had waited under 18 weeks, against 72.2% across England.
The health regulator (CQC) lists 104 independent healthcare places in Bristol, including 7 with overnight beds and 13 diagnostic or screening services.
Where to get cataract surgery near Bristol
Sort by
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Optical Express - Bristol Hospital
Bristol · under 1 mile 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, Optical Express - Bristol Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included Free -
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Emersons Green
Bristol · 6 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, Emersons Green Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Not included £145 (charged separately) -
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet · 18 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, Shepton Mallet Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Not included £145 (charged separately) -
Spire Cardiff Hospital
Cardiff · 24 miles away
from£3,339cataract 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 £204 on top.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Spire Cardiff Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £204 Treatment Included from £3,135 Aftercare Included Included -
Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital
Bristol · 1 miles away
£3,870cataract 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 Bristol Hospital Stage In the price? As published Diagnostic Investigations Not included Charged separately Main treatment Included £3,870 -
Spire Bristol Hospital
Bristol · 2 miles away
from£5,631cataract 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 £250 on top.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Spire Bristol Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £250 Treatment Included from £5,381 Aftercare Included Included
Prices the hospitals and clinics publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from Bristol city centre.
Hospital list prices nearby
6 hospitals within 25 miles of Bristol publish a self-pay list price for cataract surgery, ranging from £2,000 to £5,631. They belong to Nuffield Health, Optical Express, Practice Plus Group and Spire Healthcare. These are the hospitals’ own published figures, read from each source page on 9 November 2026; what a list price covers differs between groups.
Optical Express - Bristol Hospital (Bristol), in the city itself, lists cataract surgery (per eye) from £2,000; it has no published CQC rating yet.
Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital (Bristol), in the city itself, lists cataract surgery - one eye - standard lens at £3,870; CQC rates the hospital good (report published September 2026).
Spire Bristol Hospital (Bristol), in the city itself, lists cataract surgery with eyesight correction from £5,631; CQC rates the hospital good (report published June 2022).
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Emersons Green (South Gloucestershire), about 6 miles from the centre of Bristol, lists cataract surgery – standard monofocal lens at £2,099; CQC rates the hospital good (report published October 2026).
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Shepton Mallet (Somerset), about 18 miles from the centre of Bristol, lists cataract surgery – standard monofocal lens at £2,099; CQC rates the hospital good (report published June 2023).
Spire Cardiff Hospital (Cardiff), about 24 miles from the centre of Bristol, lists cataract surgery with eyesight correction from £3,339; it has no published CQC rating yet.
Private or NHS?
- Cost. Free on the NHS. Privately £2,000 to £5,631 across 6 published prices within 25 miles.
- Wait. Half the people on the NHS eye care waiting list at Bristol had waited longer than 9 weeks so far (August 2026).
Not sure which is right for you? Your GP can refer you on the NHS and talk through your options.
The NHS wait for eye care
| 8.8 wks | median wait so far for NHS eye care at Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (August 2026) |
|---|---|
| 10.4 wks | the median across England |
At Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, 0 of the 7,138 people waiting had waited more than a year, and nine in ten had waited 31 weeks or less.
Ophthalmology covers all eye conditions, not only cataracts. NHS England does not publish cataract waits separately. Source: NHS England, Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times, August 2026 data, published 8 October 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. See the full local picture on Waiting Times UK.
Where else to look in Bristol
These 2 providers in the Bristol area are on the CQC register. We list providers alphabetically and say why each is listed. Nobody pays to appear.
Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital - The Chesterfield
The Chesterfield, 3 Clifton Hill, Bristol, Avon BS8 1BN
Hospital registered for surgical procedures. Cataract surgery not confirmed: ask.
Spire Bristol Hospital
The Glen, Redland Hill, Durdham Down, Bristol BS6 6UT
Hospital registered for surgical procedures. Cataract surgery not confirmed: ask.
6 other registered clinics in Bristol that may be relevant
Their names and registrations suggest they may be relevant. We haven’t checked their services or prices.
- Newmedica Aztec West BS32 4UD · not yet rated
- Newmedica Community Ophthalmology Service BS8 3LS · rated Good
- Optical Express - Bristol Hospital BS1 3AG · not yet rated
- Optimax Laser Eye Clinics - Bristol BS1 1XH · not yet rated
- SpaMedica Bristol BS30 8FJ · rated Good
- Vision Care Collective Ltd BS8 1BN · rated Good
Before you book
Ask whether a quote is per eye, which lens it includes and whether the assessment and follow-up checks are in the price.
More in Bristol and elsewhere
Where these figures come from
Prices: read from each provider’s own website on the date shown next to each price. We store the price, what the page says it includes, the link and the date.
Provider details are from the CQC register (downloaded 9 November 2026), under the Open Government Licence. A CQC rating describes the whole location, not a particular treatment.
Ophthalmology covers all eye conditions, not only cataracts. NHS England does not publish cataract waits separately. Source: NHS England, Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times, August 2026 data, published 8 October 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. See the full local picture 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.
