How to choose a private ophthalmologist in the UK

Choosing a private ophthalmologist in the UK is not like choosing a restaurant. Marketing budgets, not outcomes, decide which clinics you see first — so the burden of due diligence falls on you. These are the nine checks I would insist on for a member of my own family.

1. Confirm the surgeon is on the GMC Specialist Register

Ask for a full name and GMC number and check it yourself on the GMC medical register. You want an entry on the Specialist Register for Ophthalmology — a licence to practise alone is not the same thing. If you would like to see how a consultant-led service is structured, our private ophthalmologist service across the UK sets out exactly who you meet at each stage.

2. Ask who actually operates

In many high-volume chains the person who assesses you is not the person who operates, and you meet your surgeon minutes before the procedure. Ask, in writing: *who will perform my surgery, and will I meet them before the day?*

3. Ask for a personal annual caseload, not a clinic total

A busy UK consultant performs several hundred lens procedures a year. A clinic-wide figure tells you nothing about the individual holding the instruments.

4. Ask for audited outcomes

Reasonable UK benchmarks: posterior capsule rupture under ~2%, endophthalmitis well under 1 in 1,000, and refraction within 0.5 D of target in 85–90% of eyes. A surgeon who cannot quote their own figures is not auditing their own work.

5. Check the diagnostics you will actually receive

Modern planning means optical biometry, corneal topography, macular OCT and a dilated retinal examination. If a quote looks unusually cheap, this is normally where the saving has been made.

6. Insist on a fixed written quote

It should name the consultant, the lens, the theatre, the anaesthetic, every follow-up, and what happens if a touch-up is needed. Our fixed private fees are published in full so you can compare like for like.

7. Read the aftercare terms, not the reviews

Ask who you call at 10pm on a Sunday with pain or sudden vision change, and whether the operating consultant personally reviews you at day one and week one.

8. Match the surgeon to your problem

A refractive high-volume clinic is not the right setting for a dense white cataract, a previous LASIK eye, or an eye with glaucoma. For complex eyes look for named subspecialty experience — see complex cataract surgery and cataract surgery with glaucoma.

9. Get a second opinion if anything feels rushed

A consultant who is confident in their plan will never discourage you from a second opinion on cataract or lens surgery.

Book a consultant-led assessment

Ms Tahmina Pearsall FRCOphth sees private patients across 17 UK clinics, usually within the week. Request a callback or call 020 3137 3237.