Jersey and Guernsey patients: travelling to the UK for eye surgery or a second opinion

Jersey and Guernsey have their own health services, separate from the NHS in England. Many islanders choose to travel to the UK for a private eye consultation, a second opinion or surgery. Ms Tahmina Pearsall does not hold a clinic on the islands; Channel Islands patients are seen at her UK clinic locations, most often Harley Street in London or Southampton.

Urgent first: if you have had eye surgery and now have increasing pain, rapidly worsening vision, a very red eye, new flashes or floaters, or a shadow or curtain across your vision, do not wait for a second opinion. Contact the unit that operated on you the same day, or go to an eye casualty or A&E. These symptoms can signal infection, raised pressure or retinal detachment, which need treatment within hours.

Islanders should know where their local emergency eye care is before and after any operation in the UK.

Second opinions for islanders

If you have had a consultation or surgery — on-island or in the UK — and are unhappy with the result or the explanation, an independent review can clarify what is happening. Before travelling, arrange a free initial call so the secretary can tell you which records to request and whether a review is likely to help. See how a second opinion works.

Planning travel

Both islands have flights to several UK airports, including London Gatwick and Southampton. A consultation needs one day; you will have dilated pupils afterwards, so travel with a companion and do not drive. For surgery, plan to stay near the clinic for the first post-operative check, which Ms Pearsall will advise based on your procedure. Flying after routine cataract or lens surgery is usually fine; you will be told if your situation is different.

Aftercare once you are home

Before booking surgery, agree in writing who will see you for routine follow-up and who to call out of hours. Bring copies of your letters home so your on-island optometrist or GP can see exactly what was done. Ms Pearsall's team will discuss whether remote check-ins are appropriate alongside in-person reviews.

Treatments available

Ms Pearsall's private practice covers cataract surgery, lens replacement, laser eye surgery (LASIK, LASEK, PRK and SMILE), glaucoma assessment and treatment, stye and chalazion (eyelid cyst) removal, eyelid lump and lesion removal and YAG laser capsulotomy.

Isle of Man patients have a similar guide: eye surgery for Isle of Man patients.

About Ms Tahmina Pearsall

Ms Tahmina Pearsall is a consultant ophthalmic surgeon who qualified in 1993 and has more than 30 years of experience and over 50,000 procedures performed. She trained at Moorfields Eye Hospital, St Thomas' Hospital and Addenbrooke's Hospital, and sees private patients at multiple clinic locations, including Harley Street in London. Read her full credentials.

The first telephone enquiry is free — arrange a free initial call to explain what happened and check whether a review is likely to help. A full clinical consultation with Ms Pearsall costs £250. Treatment prices are listed on the pricing page and confirmed in writing after examination.

This article is general information written for patients and does not replace an individual examination. A second opinion is an independent clinical assessment; it is not a legal review and does not by itself decide whether care elsewhere was right or wrong.