Eye surgery · Colchester
Cataract surgery in Colchester: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
from£2,000
Optical Express - Chelmsford Clinic, Chelmsford · 21 miles away
Typical price
£3,229
The middle of 6 published cataract surgery prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait so far
12 weeks
Half the people on the ophthalmology list at East Suffolk and North Essex 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 Colchester
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Optical Express - Chelmsford Clinic
Chelmsford · 21 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, Optical Express - Chelmsford Clinic Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included Free -
Optegra Colchester
Colchester · 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 Colchester Stage In the price? As published Surgery and follow-up aftercare Included -
Springfield Hospital
Chelmsford · 20 miles away
from£3,161Cataract Surgery
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.
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Spire Wellesley Hospital
Southend-on-Sea · 25 miles away
from£3,297Cataract 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 £216 on top.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Spire Wellesley Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £216 Treatment Included from £3,081 Aftercare Included Included -
Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital
Ipswich · 18 miles away
£3,426Cataract 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 Ipswich Hospital Stage In the price? As published Diagnostic Investigations Not included Charged separately Main treatment Included £3,426 -
Optegra Colchester
Colchester · 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 Colchester Stage In the price? As published Surgery and follow-up aftercare Included
Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of Colchester.
Hospital by hospital
Optegra Colchester, Colchester, 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)), £995 above the local lowest.
Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital, Ipswich, 18 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report November 2016). Cataract surgery £3,426 (tests before treatment not included), £1,426 above the local lowest.
Springfield Hospital, Chelmsford, 20 miles away (Ramsay Health Care UK; CQC Good, report August 2026). Cataract surgery from £3,161 (single guide figure, no breakdown), £1,161 above the local lowest.
Optical Express - Chelmsford Clinic, Chelmsford, 21 miles away (Optical Express; not yet rated by CQC). Cataract surgery from £2,000, the lowest locally.
Spire Wellesley Hospital, Southend-on-Sea, 25 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report October 2026). Cataract surgery from £3,297 (first consultation £216 included; aftercare included), £1,297 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
Cataract surgery: 6 local prices span £1,695, from £2,000 to £3,695; the UK median across 187 published prices is £2,995. The nearest, Optegra Colchester, is £995 dearer than the cheapest.
Within 5 miles of central Colchester: Optegra Colchester (1.9 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Colchester: Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital (18 miles), Springfield Hospital (20 miles), Optical Express - Chelmsford Clinic (21 miles) and Spire Wellesley Hospital (25 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 £3,695 at 5 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. East Suffolk and North Essex: half had waited over 12 weeks; 9 in 10 within 36 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 Colchester
| NHS trust | Median wait | Under 18 weeks | Over a year | 9 in 10 within | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust | 12.4 wks | 64.1% | 34 | 36 wks | 9,222 |
| Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust | 14.2 wks | 59.0% | 457 | 44 wks | 13,629 |
| England | 10.4 wks | 72.2% | 5,022 | 33 wks | 625,063 |
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 1.2 miles from Colchester: 9,222 people on the ophthalmology list, 64.1% within 18 weeks, 34 over a year, nine in ten within 36 weeks.
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 25 miles from Colchester: 13,629 people on the ophthalmology list, 59.0% within 18 weeks, 457 over a year, nine in ten within 44 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: East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Mid and South Essex 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 22 miles: 2 good, 6 not yet rated. 2 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 8 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optegra Colchester | 1.9 miles | Not yet rated | Yes |
| SpaMedica Colchester | 2.3 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Maldon Eye Clinic | 15 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Newmedica Community Ophthalmology Service | 15 miles | Good | No |
| Evolutio Ophthalmology Clinic – Ipswich | 16 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Lasercare Clinics (Harrogate) Limited | 21 miles | Good | No |
| Optical Express - Chelmsford Clinic | 21 miles | Not yet rated | Yes |
| SpaMedica Chelmsford | 22 miles | Not yet rated | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital what tests before treatment would cost: its published breakdown lists them as not included.
- Ask Springfield Hospital for an itemised quote, as its price is published as a single figure.
- For cataract surgery, weigh Optical Express - Chelmsford Clinic (21 miles) against Optegra Colchester (1.9 miles): the £995 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
- Ipswich 15 miles
- Southend-on-Sea 25 miles
- Ely 44 miles
- Maidstone 46 miles
- Norwich 54 miles
- Luton 57 miles
- Watford 59 miles
- Peterborough 68 miles
Other treatments near Colchester
This page also covers 6 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Clacton-on-Sea, Brightlingsea, Berechurch, Wivenhoe, Kirby Cross, Jaywick.
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: East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Mid and South Essex 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.