All proceduresCataract surgery, one eye — United Kingdom: What it costs and how long people wait
Official figures and published prices. Each figure retains its source, date and scope. Public tariffs are health-system payments, not private quotes; recorded waits do not promise a current appointment.
The answer from the data
- £755 (England, 2026/27): official NHS hospital tariff, not a self-pay patient price. ≈ 1,001.66 USD · BCE / ECB · 2026-10-14 · 1 GBP = 1.3267 USD (cross rate from ECB euro reference rates) — England; Day case unit price before market forces factor Source: NHS England (NHS Payment Scheme) · Captured: 2026-10-14 · n=1
- Ramsay New Hall Hospital — Offers with full-episode scope unconfirmed: guide price from 3,335 GBP (2026-10-15) — England; Ramsay New Hall Hospital; Conditions: One-eye scope unconfirmed. Source: Ramsay New Hall Hospital · Captured: 2026-10-15
- England: Ophthalmology Service (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait): 10.36 weeks — median waiting time, patients still on the public waiting list (2026-08). Source: NHS England (Referral to Treatment) · Captured: 2026-10-14 · n=1
- Scotland: Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; completed waits (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait): 77 days — median waiting time, patients who were treated (2026-08). Source: Public Health Scotland · Captured: 2026-10-14 · n=1
- Scotland: Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; ongoing waits (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait): 118 days — median waiting time, patients still on the public waiting list (2026-08). Source: Public Health Scotland · Captured: 2026-10-14 · n=1
- England: Ophthalmology Service (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait): 32.44 weeks — 92% of patients still on the public waiting list waited this long or less (2026-08). Source: NHS England (Referral to Treatment) · Captured: 2026-10-14 · n=1
- Scotland: Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; completed waits (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait): 354 days — 90% of patients who were treated waited this long or less (2026-08). Source: Public Health Scotland · Captured: 2026-10-14 · n=1
- Scotland: Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; ongoing waits (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait): 327 days — 90% of patients still on the public waiting list waited this long or less (2026-08). Source: Public Health Scotland · Captured: 2026-10-14 · n=1
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Source series, payment components and distributions
PriceWhat the public health system pays (official tariff)
755 GBP (single published tariff, n=1)≈ 1,001.66 USD · BCE / ECB · 2026-10-14 · 1 GBP = 1.3267 USD (cross rate from ECB euro reference rates)What the NHS pays the hospital (England day-case tariff)Outpatient day-case surgery spell (before local regional adjustments) · Schedule: 2026/27Source: NHS England (NHS Payment Scheme) Wait10.36 weeksTypical (median) time on the public waiting list (patients currently waiting)Ophthalmology Service (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait)Half of patients still on the public waiting list as of 2026-08 had been waiting less than this.Period: 2026-08 · EnglandSource: NHS England (Referral to Treatment) 32.44 weeksLong-wait benchmark: 92% of waiting-list patients have waited less than (92nd percentile, currently waiting)Ophthalmology Service (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait)92% of patients still on the public list as of 2026-08 had waited this long or less.Period: 2026-08 · EnglandSource: NHS England (Referral to Treatment) 77 days (~2.5 months)Typical (median) wait at public hospitals (completed patients)Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; completed waits (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait)Half of patients treated at public hospitals in 2026-08 waited less than this, and half waited longer.Period: 2026-08 · ScotlandSource: Public Health Scotland 354 days (~11.6 months)Long-wait benchmark: 9 in 10 public patients treated within (90th percentile, completed patients)Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; completed waits (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait)90% of patients who completed surgery in 2026-08 waited this long or less; 10% waited longer.Period: 2026-08 · ScotlandSource: Public Health Scotland 118 days (~3.9 months)Typical (median) time on the public waiting list (patients currently waiting)Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; ongoing waits (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait)Half of patients still on the public waiting list as of 2026-08 had been waiting less than this.Period: 2026-08 · ScotlandSource: Public Health Scotland 327 days (~10.7 months)Long-wait benchmark: 9 in 10 waiting-list patients have waited less than (90th percentile, currently waiting)Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; ongoing waits (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait)90% of patients still on the public list as of 2026-08 had waited this long or less.Period: 2026-08 · ScotlandSource: Public Health Scotland Published provider variants, amounts and scope details above; download exact source series and distributions (JSON).
Compare other countries with data
Check scope, payer, statistic, population and period. Figures may cover different services; they are not a clinical ranking.
Compare other countries with data| Country | Summary and detail |
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| Argentina | Public payment tariffsPublic hospital / intervention tariff; check scopepublished amount: 1,601,681 ARS · 1 price series · n=1 observations Wait: — Not in snapshot yetView figures and sources → |
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| Belgium | Public payment tariffsPublic doctor fee onlypublished amount: 482.21 EUR · 1 price series · n=1 observations Wait: — Not in snapshot yetView figures and sources → |
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| Canada | Price: — Not in snapshot yetOfficial public wait: 4 series; statistics, populations and periods in details.View figures and sources → |
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| Chile | Price: — Not in snapshot yetOfficial public wait: 4 series; statistics, populations and periods in details.View figures and sources → |
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| Czechia | Private published pricesComponent onlyfrom: 19,500 CZK · 1 price series · n=1 observations Wait: — Not in snapshot yetView figures and sources → |
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| Spain | Price: — Not in snapshot yetOfficial public wait: 1 series; statistics, populations and periods in details.View figures and sources → |
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| Finland | Price: — Not in snapshot yetOfficial public wait: 2 series; statistics, populations and periods in details.View figures and sources → |
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| France | Public payment tariffsPublic hospital / intervention tariff; check scopepublished amount: 1,510.79 EUR · 1 price series · n=1 observations Wait: — Not in snapshot yetView figures and sources → |
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| India | Private published pricesPublished package; check inclusionspublished lower bound (guide / approximate): 12,000 INR · 1 price series · n=1 observations Public payment tariffsPublic hospital / intervention tariff; check scopepublished amount: 4,000–5,700 INR · 2 price series · n=6 observations Wait: — Not in snapshot yetView figures and sources → |
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| Italy | Price: — Not in snapshot yetOfficial public wait: 2 series; statistics, populations and periods in details.View figures and sources → |
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| Mexico | Private published pricesComponent onlyfrom: 15,300 MXN · 1 price series · n=1 observations Wait: — Not in snapshot yetView figures and sources → |
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| Norway | Price: — Not in snapshot yetOfficial public wait: 2 series; statistics, populations and periods in details.View figures and sources → |
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| New Zealand | Price: — Not in snapshot yetOfficial public wait: 4 series; statistics, populations and periods in details.View figures and sources → |
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| Poland | Price: — Not in snapshot yetOfficial public wait: 1 series; statistics, populations and periods in details.View figures and sources → |
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| Portugal | Price: — Not in snapshot yetOfficial public wait: 4 series; statistics, populations and periods in details.View figures and sources → |
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| Sweden | Price: — Not in snapshot yetOfficial public wait: 4 series; statistics, populations and periods in details.View figures and sources → |
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| Thailand | Private published pricesPublished package; check inclusionspublished amount: 79,000 THB · 1 price series · n=1 observations Wait: — Not in snapshot yetView figures and sources → |
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| United States | Public payment tariffsPublic hospital / intervention tariff; check scopepublished amount: 2,357.81 USD · 1 price series · n=1 observations Public doctor fee onlypublished amount: 424.94–587.58 USD · 1 price series · n=109 observations Separate hospital and doctor payment schedules. Do not add together.Wait: — Not in snapshot yetView figures and sources → |
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Travel planning checklist
What to arrange if you travel for this procedure.
- Flights: choose flexible tickets and ask your surgeon when it is safe to fly home.
- Stay near the clinic: ask the center how long to remain nearby and confirm travel timing with your clinician before booking.
- Airport transfer: ask the clinic whether it is included.
- Phone and data: arrange mobile data before you land so the clinic can reach you.
- Travel insurance: standard policies often exclude planned treatment abroad; check cover for complications before you book.
- Documents: bring your medical records, imaging and a medication list, in English or the local language.
- Companion: for surgery, consider travelling with someone who can help during recovery.
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Frequently asked questions
What price has been published? (BZ34C; 2026/27)
£755 (England, 2026/27): official NHS hospital tariff, not a self-pay patient price. ≈ 1,001.66 USD · BCE / ECB · 2026-10-14 · 1 GBP = 1.3267 USD (cross rate from ECB euro reference rates) Scope: Day case unit price before market forces factor. Captured: 2026-10-14. n=1. Source: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PRN02348-26-27-nhs-payment-scheme-pay-award-annex-a-prices-workbook-v2.xlsx.
What waiting time has been reported? (England; median waiting time; 2026-08; Ophthalmology Service)
Ophthalmology Service (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait): 10.36 weeks — median waiting time, patients still on the public waiting list. Source period: 2026-08. Captured: 2026-10-14. n=1. Source: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Incomplete-Commissioner-Aug26-XLSX-4M-vjgRdG.xlsx. Specialty-level proxy, not a procedure waiting time. Incomplete consultant-led referral-to-treatment pathways at month end; includes diagnostics and appointments. Published NHS median/p92 are estimates from aggregate data; values are copied, never calculated from bins. One specialty is intentionally referenced by multiple basket items; do not count these as independent cohorts.
What waiting time has been reported? (England; p92; 2026-08; Ophthalmology Service)
Ophthalmology Service (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait): 32.44 weeks — 92% of patients still on the public waiting list waited this long or less. Source period: 2026-08. Captured: 2026-10-14. n=1. Source: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Incomplete-Commissioner-Aug26-XLSX-4M-vjgRdG.xlsx. Specialty-level proxy, not a procedure waiting time. Incomplete consultant-led referral-to-treatment pathways at month end; includes diagnostics and appointments. Published NHS median/p92 are estimates from aggregate data; values are copied, never calculated from bins. One specialty is intentionally referenced by multiple basket items; do not count these as independent cohorts.
What waiting time has been reported? (Scotland; median waiting time; 2026-08; Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; completed waits)
Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; completed waits (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait): 77 days — median waiting time, patients who were treated. Source period: 2026-08. Captured: 2026-10-14. n=1. Source: https://www.opendata.nhs.scot/dataset/e9dbef36-a343-4b9a-ab7e-b6e6cbcbb38e/resource/ac63b747-fdcc-410c-ae43-de6fe3c46abf/download/sot_performance_ongoing_completed_waits_monthly_aug26.csv. Published specialty-level stage-of-treatment wait, not a procedure-specific wait or full referral-to-treatment pathway. The same specialty statistic may appear for multiple basket procedures; do not count those as independent patient cohorts.
What waiting time has been reported? (Scotland; p90; 2026-08; Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; completed waits)
Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; completed waits (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait): 354 days — 90% of patients who were treated waited this long or less. Source period: 2026-08. Captured: 2026-10-14. n=1. Source: https://www.opendata.nhs.scot/dataset/e9dbef36-a343-4b9a-ab7e-b6e6cbcbb38e/resource/ac63b747-fdcc-410c-ae43-de6fe3c46abf/download/sot_performance_ongoing_completed_waits_monthly_aug26.csv. Published specialty-level stage-of-treatment wait, not a procedure-specific wait or full referral-to-treatment pathway. The same specialty statistic may appear for multiple basket procedures; do not count those as independent patient cohorts.
What waiting time has been reported? (Scotland; median waiting time; 2026-08; Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; ongoing waits)
Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; ongoing waits (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait): 118 days — median waiting time, patients still on the public waiting list. Source period: 2026-08. Captured: 2026-10-14. n=1. Source: https://www.opendata.nhs.scot/dataset/e9dbef36-a343-4b9a-ab7e-b6e6cbcbb38e/resource/ac63b747-fdcc-410c-ae43-de6fe3c46abf/download/sot_performance_ongoing_completed_waits_monthly_aug26.csv. Published specialty-level stage-of-treatment wait, not a procedure-specific wait or full referral-to-treatment pathway. The same specialty statistic may appear for multiple basket procedures; do not count those as independent patient cohorts.
What waiting time has been reported? (Scotland; p90; 2026-08; Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; ongoing waits)
Ophthalmology (C7); inpatient/day-case stage of treatment; ongoing waits (specialty-level wait, not a procedure-specific wait): 327 days — 90% of patients still on the public waiting list waited this long or less. Source period: 2026-08. Captured: 2026-10-14. n=1. Source: https://www.opendata.nhs.scot/dataset/e9dbef36-a343-4b9a-ab7e-b6e6cbcbb38e/resource/ac63b747-fdcc-410c-ae43-de6fe3c46abf/download/sot_performance_ongoing_completed_waits_monthly_aug26.csv. Published specialty-level stage-of-treatment wait, not a procedure-specific wait or full referral-to-treatment pathway. The same specialty statistic may appear for multiple basket procedures; do not count those as independent patient cohorts.
What price has been published? (Ramsay New Hall Hospital; 2026-10-15)
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fileSha256: a459b9aa9613a425d67594d678e71534137f88a1f0942ff67de5295dc76a5605How to cite
Plain text (fill in the access date)
CareFare Global (SOFT DEV FZ LLC). “CareFare Global Health Index: Cataract surgery, one eye — United Kingdom: What it costs and how long people wait.” Version 1; evidence capture cutoff 2026-10-15. https://carefareglobal.com/index/cataract-1eye/united-kingdom. Accessed: [YYYY-MM-DD: fill in access date].
BibTeX
@misc{carefare_health_index__index_cataract_1eye_united_kingdom,
author = {{CareFare Global (SOFT DEV FZ LLC)}},
title = {CareFare Global Health Index: Cataract surgery, one eye — United Kingdom: What it costs and how long people wait},
publisher = {CareFare Global Health Index},
version = {1},
date = {2026-10-15},
url = {https://carefareglobal.com/index/cataract-1eye/united-kingdom},
urldate = {YYYY-MM-DD},
note = {Evidence capture cutoff: 2026-10-15. Fill in urldate before reuse; cite also the original source and source period.}
}CC BY 4.0 — CC BY 4.0 covers CareFare compilation and aggregates. Original source material, evidence and third-party code systems retain their own rights; no sublicence of those rights is granted.
Cite also the original source (including comparisons on this page)
- CareFare Global Health Index — append-only errata — https://carefareglobal.com/api/index/v1/errata.jsonl
Source periods: 2026-10-15. Capture dates: 2026-10-15. - NHS England (NHS Payment Scheme) — https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PRN02348-26-27-nhs-payment-scheme-pay-award-annex-a-prices-workbook-v2.xlsx
Source periods: 2026/27. Capture dates: 2026-10-14. - NHS England (Referral to Treatment) — https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/Incomplete-Commissioner-Aug26-XLSX-4M-vjgRdG.xlsx
Source periods: 2026-08. Capture dates: 2026-10-14. - Public Health Scotland — https://www.opendata.nhs.scot/dataset/e9dbef36-a343-4b9a-ab7e-b6e6cbcbb38e/resource/ac63b747-fdcc-410c-ae43-de6fe3c46abf/download/sot_performance_ongoing_completed_waits_monthly_aug26.csv
Source periods: 2026-08. Capture dates: 2026-10-14. - Ramsay Health Care UK — https://www.ramsayhealth.co.uk/hospitals/new-hall-hospital/patients/prices
Source periods: 2026-10-15. Capture dates: 2026-10-15.