Eye surgery · Norwich
Cataract surgery in Norwich: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
from£2,000
Optical Express - Norwich Clinic, Norwich · 1.1 miles away
NHS wait so far
12 weeks
Half the people on the ophthalmology list at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals 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 Norwich
-
Optical Express - Norwich Clinic
Norwich · 1.1 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 - Norwich Clinic Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included Free -
Spire Norwich Hospital
Norwich · 2.5 miles away
from£3,103Cataract 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 £212 on top.
Price breakdown, as published
Published price breakdown, Spire Norwich Hospital Stage In the price? As published Initial consultation Included £212 Treatment Included from £2,891 Aftercare Included 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 Norwich.
Hospital by hospital
Optical Express - Norwich Clinic, Norwich, 1.1 miles away (Optical Express; not yet rated by CQC). Cataract surgery from £2,000, the lowest locally.
Spire Norwich Hospital, Norwich, 2.5 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report July 2026). Cataract surgery from £3,103 (first consultation £212 included; aftercare included), £1,103 above the local lowest.
How the prices compare
Cataract surgery: 2 local prices span £1,103, from £2,000 to £3,103; the UK median across 187 published prices is £2,995.
Within 5 miles of central Norwich: Optical Express - Norwich Clinic (1.1 miles) and Spire Norwich Hospital (2.5 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 £3,103 at 2 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals: half had waited over 12 weeks; 9 in 10 within 34 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 Norwich
| NHS trust | Median wait | Under 18 weeks | Over a year | 9 in 10 within | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 12.5 wks | 68.8% | 45 | 34 wks | 5,853 |
| James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | 12.5 wks | 63.9% | 49 | 40 wks | 3,334 |
| England | 10.4 wks | 72.2% | 5,022 | 33 wks | 625,063 |
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 3.0 miles from Norwich: 5,853 people on the ophthalmology list, 68.8% within 18 weeks, 45 over a year, nine in ten within 34 weeks.
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 19 miles from Norwich: 3,334 people on the ophthalmology list, 63.9% within 18 weeks, 49 over a year, nine in ten within 40 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: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK.
Other clinics nearby
The CQC register lists 4 independent eye clinics and hospitals registered with the CQC to do surgery within 25 miles: 3 good, 1 not yet rated. 1 of them publish a price we could check here; ask the others directly.
The 4 nearest
| Location | Distance | Rating (CQC) | Price shown above? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optical Express - Norwich Clinic | 1.1 miles | Not yet rated | Yes |
| SpaMedica Norwich | 2.4 miles | Good | No |
| Newmedica Community Ophthalmology Service | 3.9 miles | Good | No |
| East Point Vision @ James Paget University Hospital | 19 miles | Good | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask whether the price is per eye and which lens it includes.
Nearby
Cataract surgery in nearby places
- Ipswich 41 miles
- Ely 46 miles
- Colchester 54 miles
- Peterborough 65 miles
- Southend-on-Sea 79 miles
- Luton 89 miles
- Watford 99 miles
- Maidstone 100 miles
Other treatments near Norwich
This page also covers 18 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth, Gorleston-on-Sea, Dereham, Wymondham, Taverham and Drayton, North Walsham, Bradwell, Beccles, Caister-on-Sea, Cromer, Aylsham, Poringland, Sheringham, Hethersett, Hemsby, Long Stratton, Bungay.
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: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Waiting Times UK, James Paget 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.