Eye surgery · Exeter
Cataract surgery in Exeter: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
from£2,000
Optical Express - Exeter Clinic, Exeter · 0.9 miles away
NHS wait so far
13 weeks
Half the people on the ophthalmology list at Royal Devon University Healthcare 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 Exeter
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Optical Express - Exeter Clinic
Exeter · 0.9 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 - Exeter Clinic Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included Free
Prices the hospitals publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from the centre of Exeter.
Hospital by hospital
Optical Express - Exeter Clinic, Exeter, 0.9 miles away (Optical Express; not yet rated by CQC). Cataract surgery from £2,000, the lowest locally.
How the prices compare
Cataract surgery: one local price, from £2,000; the UK median across 187 published prices is £2,995.
Within 5 miles of central Exeter: Optical Express - Exeter Clinic (0.9 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 from £2,000 at 1 hospital. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. Royal Devon University Healthcare: half had waited over 13 weeks; 9 in 10 within 43 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 Exeter
| NHS trust | Median wait | Under 18 weeks | Over a year | 9 in 10 within | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | 13.4 wks | 61.3% | 222 | 43 wks | 8,549 |
| England | 10.4 wks | 72.2% | 5,022 | 33 wks | 625,063 |
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, 0.2 miles from Exeter: 8,549 people on the ophthalmology list, 61.3% within 18 weeks, 222 over a year, nine in ten within 43 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: Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 5 independent eye clinics and hospitals registered with the CQC to do surgery within 25 miles: 3 good, 2 not yet rated. 1 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 5 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optical Express - Exeter Clinic | 0.9 miles | Not yet rated | Yes |
| The Medical Eye Clinic | 1.4 miles | Good | No |
| Exeter Eye LLP @ Admiral House | 2.1 miles | Good | No |
| SpaMedica Exeter | 4.4 miles | Good | No |
| Optimax Laser Eye Clinics - Newton Abbot | 14 miles | Not yet rated | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask whether the price is per eye and which lens it includes.
Nearby
Cataract surgery in nearby places
- Wells 51 miles
- Bournemouth 72 miles
- Southampton 94 miles
- Swindon 95 miles
- Gloucester 96 miles
- Basingstoke 111 miles
- Chichester 120 miles
- Oxford 121 miles
Other treatments near Exeter
This page also covers 12 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Torquay, Exmouth, Barnstaple, Brixham, Teignmouth, Sidmouth, Kingsteignton, Dawlish, Cullompton, Crediton, Ottery St Mary, Budleigh Salterton.
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: Royal Devon University Healthcare 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.