Eye surgery · Stoke-on-Trent
Cataract surgery in Stoke-on-Trent: what it costs, and the NHS wait
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Cheapest nearby
£2,035
Circle Cheshire Clinic, Northwich · 24 miles away
Typical price
£3,003
The middle of 5 published cataract surgery prices within 25 miles.
NHS wait so far
16 weeks
Half the people on the ophthalmology list at University Hospitals of North Midlands 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 Stoke-on-Trent
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Circle Cheshire Clinic
Northwich · 24 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 -
Optegra Eye Hospital Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter · 14 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 Eye Hospital Uttoxeter Stage In the price? As published Surgery and follow-up aftercare Included -
Spire Regency Hospital Macclesfield
Macclesfield · 19 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 -
Nuffield Health North Staffordshire Hospital
Newcastle · 3.0 miles away
£3,580Cataract 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 North Staffordshire Hospital Stage In the price? As published Diagnostic Investigations Not included Charged separately Main treatment Included £3,580 -
Optegra Eye Hospital Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter · 14 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 Eye Hospital Uttoxeter 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 Stoke-on-Trent.
Hospital by hospital
Nuffield Health North Staffordshire Hospital, Newcastle, 3.0 miles away (Nuffield Health; CQC Good, report September 2026). Cataract surgery £3,580 (tests before treatment not included), £1,545 above the local lowest.
Optegra Eye Hospital Uttoxeter, Uttoxeter, 14 miles away (Optegra; CQC Good, report April 2026). Cataract surgery £2,995 (Standard Cataract Treatment (per eye)) or £3,695 (Enhanced Cataract Treatment (per eye)), £960 above the local lowest.
Spire Regency Hospital Macclesfield, Macclesfield, 19 miles away (Spire Healthcare; CQC Good, report February 2022). Cataract surgery from £3,003 (first consultation £219 included; aftercare included), £968 above the local lowest.
Circle Cheshire Clinic, Northwich, 24 miles away (Circle Health Group; not yet rated by CQC). Cataract surgery £2,035 (first consultation £200 included; tests before treatment not included; aftercare included), the lowest locally.
How the prices compare
Cataract surgery: 5 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 North Staffordshire Hospital, is £1,545 dearer than the cheapest.
Within 5 miles of central Stoke-on-Trent: Nuffield Health North Staffordshire Hospital (3.0 miles).
10 to 25 miles of central Stoke-on-Trent: Optegra Eye Hospital Uttoxeter (14 miles), Spire Regency Hospital Macclesfield (19 miles) and Circle Cheshire Clinic (24 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 4 hospitals. Free on the NHS.
- Wait. University Hospitals of North Midlands: half had waited over 16 weeks; 9 in 10 within 47 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 Stoke-on-Trent
| NHS trust | Median wait | Under 18 weeks | Over a year | 9 in 10 within | On the list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust | 15.6 wks | 55.5% | 258 | 47 wks | 6,370 |
| England | 10.4 wks | 72.2% | 5,022 | 33 wks | 625,063 |
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, 2.7 miles from Stoke-on-Trent: 6,370 people on the ophthalmology list, 55.5% within 18 weeks, 258 over a year, nine in ten within 47 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: University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS 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: 2 outstanding, 1 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? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health and Eyecare Limited (CHEC - Stoke) | 2.6 miles | Outstanding | No |
| SpaMedica Newcastle-Under-Lyme | 4.8 miles | Outstanding | No |
| Optegra Eye Hospital Uttoxeter | 14 miles | Good | Yes |
| SpaMedica Telford | 24 miles | Not yet rated | No |
Questions to ask before booking
- Ask Circle Cheshire Clinic and Nuffield Health North Staffordshire Hospital what tests before treatment would cost: their published breakdown lists them as not included.
- For cataract surgery, weigh Circle Cheshire Clinic (24 miles) against Nuffield Health North Staffordshire Hospital (3.0 miles): the £1,545 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
- Telford 25 miles
- Wolverhampton 28 miles
- Chester 34 miles
- Bolton 43 miles
- Liverpool 43 miles
- Coventry 48 miles
- Leicester 49 miles
- Bradford 58 miles
Other treatments near Stoke-on-Trent
- Hip and knee replacement
- Knee arthroscopy and carpal tunnel surgery
- MRI scans
- Colonoscopy and gastroscopy
This page also covers 4 nearby places with the same hospitals and NHS trust: Newcastle-under-Lyme, Cheadle, Blythe Bridge and Forsbrook, Werrington.
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: University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS 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.