Procedures · Ophthalmology
Cataract Surgery
Removal of clouded lens, replaced with intra-ocular implant.
Data vintage: 2025-Q4 · Reviewed by PlainNHS ·
Median wait
9.4 weeks
National median across all NHS Trusts
90th percentile
18.2 weeks
9 in 10 patients treated within
Annual NHS volume
425,000
Approx. completed pathways / year
About this procedure
Cataract Surgery falls within the NHS Ophthalmology pathway. The NHS performs roughly 425,000 of these procedures each year across English NHS Trusts. The current national median wait from referral to treatment is 9.4 weeks; nine in ten patients are treated within 18.2 weeks.
The NHS 18-week Referral-to-Treatment (RTT) standard says that 92% of patients on an incomplete elective pathway should wait no longer than 18 weeks from the day a GP referral is received to the day treatment begins (or a clinical decision not to treat is made). For diagnostic-only procedures (MRI, CT, colonoscopy), the relevant standard is the 6-week diagnostic-waiting-times target.
Use the table below to see how each NHS Trust performs for Cataract Surgery specifically. Median wait varies meaningfully between trusts - patients have a statutory right to choose their treating Trust at the point of GP referral. The Trust column links through to its full PlainNHS profile (CQC rating, A&E and cancer performance, full procedure-by-procedure waiting times).
Wait times by NHS Trust
| NHS Trust | Region | CQC | Median (wks) | P90 (wks) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust | London | Outstanding | 8.8 | 17 |
| University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | London | Outstanding | 8.8 | 17.1 |
| Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | East of England | Good | 8.8 | 17.1 |
| Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | South East | Good | 8.8 | 17.1 |
| Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust | London | Outstanding | 8.8 | 17.1 |
| The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | North East | Outstanding | 8.8 | 17.1 |
| Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | London | Good | 8.9 | 17.2 |
| Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust | London | Good | 8.9 | 17.2 |
| Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust | North West | Good | 8.9 | 17.3 |
| NHS Lothian | Scotland | Good | 8.9 | 17.2 |
| Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | London | Requires Improvement | 8.9 | 17.3 |
| Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | Yorkshire & Humber | Good | 8.9 | 17.2 |
Source: NHS England · Reporting month: 2025-12
Source attribution & methodology
- Procedure waiting times: NHS England RTT statistics
- Annual NHS procedure volume: NHS England Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) admitted-patient summary
- Methodology: how PlainNHS computes per-Trust medians
Important: Statistical waiting times do not predict the timing of any individual case. This page is not medical advice; speak to your GP, NHS 111, or the treating Trust for specific clinical decisions.