Cataract surgery · Manchester
cataract surgery in Manchester: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
from£2,000
Bridgewater Hospital, Manchester · 2 miles away
Typical price
£2,260
The middle of the 14 published prices within 25 miles.
Range £2,000 to £4,347.
NHS wait in Manchester
12 weeks
Half the people on the NHS eye care list at Manchester University had waited longer than this so far (August 2026).
Covers all eye care, not only cataracts.
In short
The lowest published self-pay price we found for cataract surgery in the Manchester area was £4,347 at Oaklands Hospital (Salford). Checked 9 November 2026.
In August 2026, half of the 12,421 people on Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust’s waiting list for NHS eye care (ophthalmology) had waited 11.6 weeks or less, and 68.4% had waited under 18 weeks, against 72.2% across England.
The health regulator (CQC) lists 131 independent healthcare places in Manchester, including 3 with overnight beds and 27 diagnostic or screening services.
Where to get cataract surgery near Manchester
Sort by
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Bridgewater Hospital
Manchester · 2 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, Bridgewater Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included Free -
The Alexandra Hospital
Cheadle · 5 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, The Alexandra 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 -
The Highfield Hospital
Rochdale · 9 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, The Highfield 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 -
The Beaumont Hospital
Lostock Bolton · 14 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, The Beaumont 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 -
Circle Cheshire Clinic
Northwich · 18 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, Circle Cheshire Clinic 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 -
The Beardwood Hospital
Blackburn · 23 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, The Beardwood 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 -
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Rochdale
Rochdale · 11 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, Rochdale Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Not included £145 (charged separately) -
Fairfield Independent Hospital
St. Helens · 22 miles away
£2,420cataract 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 £220). Not included: tests before treatment. Circle confirms the final price after your consultation.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Fairfield Independent Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £220 Diagnostic Investigations Not included Not included Main treatment Included £2,200 · Included Post discharge care Included Included · Included -
Optegra Manchester Eye Hospital
Didsbury · 3 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 Manchester Eye Hospital Stage In the price? As published Surgery and follow-up aftercare Included -
Spire Regency Hospital Macclesfield
Macclesfield · 15 miles away
from£3,003cataract 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 Regency Hospital Macclesfield Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £219 Treatment Included from £2,784 Aftercare Included Included -
Spire Dunedin Hospital
Manchester · 4 miles away
from£3,275cataract 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 £224 on top.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Spire Dunedin Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £224 Treatment Included from £3,051 Aftercare Included Included -
Spire Elland Hospital
Elland · 22 miles away
from£3,411cataract 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 £230 on top.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Spire Elland Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £230 Treatment Included from £3,181 Aftercare Included Included -
Spire Cheshire Hospital
Warrington · 18 miles away
from£3,658cataract 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 £208 on top.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Spire Cheshire Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £208 Treatment Included from £3,450 Aftercare Included Included -
Oaklands Hospital
Salford · 5 miles away
from£4,347cataract surgery with eyesight correction as inpatient
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.
Prices the hospitals and clinics publish on their own websites, not quotes. Nobody pays to be listed. Distances are straight-line miles from Manchester city centre.
Hospital list prices nearby
8 hospitals within 25 miles of Manchester publish a self-pay list price for cataract surgery, ranging from £2,000 to £4,347. They belong to Circle Health Group, Optegra, Optical Express, Practice Plus Group, Ramsay Health Care UK 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.
Bridgewater Hospital (Manchester), in the city itself, lists cataract surgery (per eye) from £2,000; CQC rates the hospital good (report published January 2022).
Optegra Manchester Eye Hospital (Manchester), about 3 miles from the centre of Manchester, lists standard cataract treatment (per eye) at £2,995; CQC rates the hospital good (report published August 2022).
Spire Dunedin Hospital (Manchester), about 4 miles from the centre of Manchester, lists cataract surgery with eyesight correction from £3,275; CQC rates the hospital outstanding (report published October 2022).
Oaklands Hospital (Salford), about 5 miles from the centre of Manchester, lists cataract surgery with eyesight correction as inpatient from £4,347; CQC rates the hospital good (report published July 2026).
The Alexandra Hospital (Stockport), about 5 miles from the centre of Manchester, lists cataract removal & lens implant - one eye at £2,035; CQC rates the hospital good (report published March 2022).
The Highfield Hospital (Rochdale), about 9 miles from the centre of Manchester, lists cataract removal & lens implant - one eye at £2,035; CQC rates the hospital outstanding (report published August 2022).
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Rochdale (Rochdale), about 11 miles from the centre of Manchester, lists cataract surgery – standard monofocal lens at £2,099; CQC rates the hospital outstanding (report published April 2017).
The Beaumont Hospital (Bolton), about 14 miles from the centre of Manchester, lists cataract removal & lens implant - one eye at £2,035; CQC rates the hospital good (report published June 2025).
Private or NHS?
- Cost. Free on the NHS. Privately £2,000 to £4,347 across 14 published prices within 25 miles.
- Wait. Half the people on the NHS eye care waiting list at Manchester University had waited longer than 12 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
| 11.6 wks | median wait so far for NHS eye care at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (August 2026) |
|---|---|
| 10.4 wks | the median across England |
At Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, 17 of the 12,421 people waiting had waited more than a year, and nine in ten had waited 35 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 Manchester
These 2 providers in the Manchester area are on the CQC register. We list providers alphabetically and say why each is listed. Nobody pays to appear.
Oaklands Hospital
19 Lancaster Road, Salford, Greater Manchester M6 8AQ
Publishes a self-pay price, shown above.
Spire Manchester Hospital
170 Barlow Moor Road, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 2AF
Hospital registered for surgical procedures. Cataract surgery not confirmed: ask.
4 other registered clinics in Manchester that may be relevant
Their names and registrations suggest they may be relevant. We haven’t checked their services or prices.
Before you book
We found only one published local price in the Manchester area, so there is little to compare it with locally. Prices published elsewhere in the country are on the national cataract surgery page.
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 Manchester 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.
