Eye surgery · Ipswich
Cataract surgery in Ipswich: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£2,035
St Edmunds Hospital, Bury St Edmunds · 22 miles away
Typical price
£3,210
The middle of 4 published cataract surgery prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait so far
10 weeks
Half the people on the ophthalmology list at West Suffolk 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 Ipswich
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St Edmunds Hospital
Bury St Edmunds · 22 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, St Edmunds 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 -
Optegra Colchester
Colchester · 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 Colchester Stage In the price? As published Surgery and follow-up aftercare Included -
Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital
Ipswich · 3.5 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 · 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 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 Ipswich.
Hospital by hospital
Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital, Ipswich, 3.5 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report November 2016). Cataract surgery £3,426 (tests before treatment not included), £1,391 above the local lowest.
Optegra Colchester, Colchester, 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)), £960 above the local lowest.
St Edmunds Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, 22 miles away (Circle Health Group; CQC Good, report March 2019). Cataract surgery £2,035 (first consultation £200 included; tests before treatment not included; aftercare included), the lowest locally.
How the prices compare
Cataract surgery: 4 local prices span £1,660, from £2,035 to £3,695; the UK median across 187 published prices is £2,995. The nearest, Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital, is £1,391 dearer than the cheapest.
Within 5 miles of central Ipswich: Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital (3.5 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Ipswich: Optegra Colchester (13 miles) and St Edmunds Hospital (22 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 £2,035 to £3,695 at 3 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. West Suffolk: half had waited over 10 weeks; 9 in 10 within 33 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 Ipswich
| NHS trust | Median wait | Under 18 weeks | Over a year | 9 in 10 within | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust | 10.5 wks | 71.8% | 3 | 33 wks | 2,113 |
| Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 12.5 wks | 68.8% | 45 | 34 wks | 5,853 |
| England | 10.4 wks | 72.2% | 5,022 | 33 wks | 625,063 |
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, 22 miles from Ipswich: 2,113 people on the ophthalmology list, 71.8% within 18 weeks, 3 over a year, nine in ten within 33 weeks.
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 39 miles from Ipswich: 5,853 people on the ophthalmology list, 68.8% within 18 weeks, 45 over a year, nine in ten within 34 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: West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals 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: 1 good, 4 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? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evolutio Ophthalmology Clinic – Ipswich | 0.6 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Newmedica Community Ophthalmology Service | 0.6 miles | Good | No |
| SpaMedica Colchester | 13 miles | Not yet rated | No |
| Optegra Colchester | 13 miles | Not yet rated | Yes |
| Newmedica Bury St Edmunds | 21 miles | Not yet rated | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital and St Edmunds Hospital what tests before treatment would cost: their published breakdown lists them as not included.
- For cataract surgery, weigh St Edmunds Hospital (22 miles) against Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital (3.5 miles): the £1,391 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
- Colchester 15 miles
- Southend-on-Sea 40 miles
- Norwich 41 miles
- Ely 44 miles
- Maidstone 61 miles
- Luton 68 miles
- Peterborough 69 miles
- Watford 72 miles
Other treatments near Ipswich
This page also covers 11 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Bury St Edmunds, Felixstowe, Sudbury, Stowmarket, Harwich, Kesgrave, Woodbridge, Hadleigh, Walton-on-the-Naze, Leiston, Needham Market.
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: West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, Norfolk and Norwich University 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.