Review of Moorfields Eye Surgery
Moorfields Eye Hospital enjoys a global reputation for providing world-class laser eye surgery.
Moorfields Private is the private arm of the renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and offers ophthalmic care to patients seeking a vast range of treatments for both common and complex eye health conditions.
Today, Moorfields has a number of clinics around London – located in the City, the West End, Bedford and Croydon – and treats around 400,000 outpatients and 30,000 inpatients each year.
☀ Pros: World-class reputation, highly experienced eye surgeons, central London locations, advanced technology
☂ Cons: No fixed prices (fixed by the surgeons), no monthly payment options, no free consultation
☝ Compare clinics: See if there are any other top-rated clinics near you, and use our simple tool to receive a personalised quote.
Our no-nonsense review of Moorfields Private and Moorfields NHS Eye Hospital covers:
- Moorfields Private Eye Hospital
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Moorfields laser eye surgery cost
- What laser eye surgeries are offered?
- Moorfields’ best consultants
- Moorfields laser eye surgery reviews
- The Verdict
1. Moorfields Private Eye Hospital
For patients who fail to meet NHS requirements, or for those looking for treatments left off NHS checklists (such as refractive surgery for the average glasses-wearer), Moorfields Private is a viable option.
Private laser eye treatments at Moorfields include the most common surgeries such as PRK, LASEK and LASIK, as well as specialist procedures for more complex conditions. Private patients also benefit from Wavefront guided surgeries, which tend to have higher success rates due to greater laser accuracy.
In addition to providing high quality treatment and aftercare, many patients like to know that the profits from Moorfields Private are used to fund the Moorfields Eye Charity, Friends of Moorfields, which supports critical new research and quality eye care for children and adults.
2. Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
If you happen to suffer from a select range of debilitating eye conditions that cannot be treated by contact lenses or glasses (such as cataracts or glaucoma), you may be one of the few people who qualify for laser eye surgery on the NHS.
Moorfields’ NHS Eye Hospital is there for these patients, but for the vast majority of us, Moorfields Private has its door open.
3. Moorfields Laser Eye Surgery Cost
While NHS treatment is free, at Moorfields Private prices will apply to all consultations and surgeries.
Laser eye surgery costs at Moorfields start at £2,000 per eye for common laser eye surgery such as LASIK or LASEK. These prices rise to between £3,000 and £4,000 per eye for more complex procedures including cataract surgery.
An initial consultation at Moorfields is around £150, and the private prices will depend on the eye surgeon you choose. That’s because the laser eye consultants are employed by Moorfields, and set their own fees.
Consultation costs
- Consultation: £150 – £200
Patients considering laser eye surgery usually book one to two consultations prior to receiving treatment. You can book your first appointment on the Moorfields Private website.
Treatment costs (per eye)
- LASIK or LASEK eye surgery: £2,000 – £2,500
- Refractive lens exchange (RLE) or cataract surgery: £3,000 – £4,000
- ICL implantation surgery: £3,000 – £4,000
Other costs
In addition to these costs, you may also need to consider covering your potential stay in the hospital for private treatment. Moorfields Private hospital fees tend to range from £900 to £1800, depending on the procedure.
However, recovery times vary, and many eye treatments allow you to leave following the surgery. Naturally, there are no hospital fees for NHS patients.
Other options?
Moorfields Private Hospital offers some of the latest laser and implantable contact lens treatments performed by world-class consultant eye specialists, and these prices reflect the clinic’s high standards.
However, if these costs are outside your budget, or you would like to compare them with other leading laser eye surgery clinics in the UK, click here to fill in a few details, and talk directly to a trusted clinic to compare their quotes and services.
To see how other eye laser surgery clinics compare with Moorfields Private, just click here to use our simple quote tool, and receive a tailored quote from any trusted clinics near you.
Paying for treatment
Opting for laser eye surgery is a financial commitment for most people, and Moorfields offers three ways of paying for your treatment:
- Private Medical Insurance – If you are covered by private healthcare, Moorfields asks that you try to verify these details before your first appointment, and obtain your pre-authorisation number.
- Self pay – Many patients pay for their own treatment, with no private insurance needed.
- Third party sponsorship – If a third party (such as your employer) has agreed to settled your account, make sure you acquire a letter of guarantee along with a deposit.
Read more: Laser eye surgery costs explained
4. Laser Eye Surgery Treatments
Moorfields Private Eye Hospital provides over 100 vision correction treatments for adults and children of all ages.
Here are some of the most requested types of laser eye surgery treatments:
- LASIK: The most common treatment to correct eye conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
- LASEK: A surface laser treatment that is suitable for patients with thinner corneas (eye surfaces).
- Cataract surgery: A refractive lens exchange (RLE), which is an option for those in the “reading glasses” age group.
- ICL surgery: Implants that work like permanent contact lenses are common for younger people, or patients with medical dry eye conditions.
Moorfields Private Hospital usually performs laser sight correction surgery to both eyes on the same day, but with cataract surgery and ICL implantation, most surgeons prefer to leave a week between operating on each eye for their patients’ comfort.
5. Moorfields’ Top Surgeons
Moorfields Private and Moorfields Eye Hospital claim their ophthalmic surgeons and consultants are some of the best in Britain, and six Moorfields Private surgeons were recently named in the Daily Mail’s top doctors list.
Within the industry, Moorfields is also the go-to for ophthalmic expertise: a recent Moorfields report shows that over half of all registered ophthalmic surgeons in the UK received their training there. Not surprisingly, many Moorfields consultants also completed their training onsite.
Plus, based on hundreds of unfiltered reviews from former patients, Moorfields hosts some of the top-rated laser eye surgeons in the UK.
Here are the five best consultants at Moorfields, as voted by you:
- Mr David Gartry: As one of the first surgeons worldwide to perform laser eye surgery, they don’t come more experienced than Mr Gartry.
- Mr Julian Stevens: Mr Stevens is an advisor to the British Society for Refractive Surgery, and is recognised globally as an expert opinion leader in laser eye surgery.
- Mr Bruce Allan: Mr Allan had been the Service Director for Refractive Surgery at Moorfields since 2012.
- Ms Valerie Saw: Ms Saw’s interests lie in inflammation and scarring of the eye, and she regularly treats patients for dry eyes and conjunctivitis.
- Mr Alexander C. W. Ionides: Since 1989, Mr Ionides has specialised in cataract and refractive lens surgery for both long and short sighted conditions.
Read more: Laser Eye Surgeon reviews
6. Independent reviews of Moorfields Private Eye Hospital
Moorfields consistently receive fantastic customer reviews, making them one of the highest rated laser eye providers in the UK. Click here to read their customer reviews below.
Moorfields Eye Hospital Private Clinic is also featured as one of Lasik Eye’s best laser eye surgery clinics in the UK, as well as shining in our list of the best laser eye surgery in London for partnering with some of the most renowned surgeons.
What makes Moorfields Eye Hospital so popular?
- History – Moorfields Eye Hospital first opened in London in 1805, and is now one of the oldest and best reviewed eye hospitals in the world.
- Ophthalmic Research – Moorfields has spent over 200 years researching and providing the latest laser eye surgery and implantable contact lens treatments, in partnership with the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
- Cutting-edge technology – Moorfields Private is a flagship location for laser and implant manufacturers. Its surgeons are therefore able to choose from the latest state-of-the-art laser eye equipment and non-invasive techniques like Intralase technology.
- Patient care – The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rates Moorfields Eye Hospital as ‘outstanding’ for care in their latest inspection report.
But is Moorfields Eye Hospital right for you?
Not everyone is best suited to Moorfields: as you would expect, world-class laser eye surgery often comes with an eye-watering price tag.
- Expensive treatments – Although patients tend to leave rave reviews, LASEK eye surgery costs on average £2,235 per eye at Moorfields Private, but between £595 and £1,595 per eye at other leading high street eye clinics such as Optical Express.
- No free consultations – Moorfields Private is one of the few laser eye clinics in the UK not to offer free initial consultations: you can expect to pay between £150 and £200, depending on the surgeon you see.
Next Steps: Find the Top-Reviewed Clinic Near You
Compare Moorfields Private with the highest independently reviewed eye laser clinics near you – see if you’re eligible for 20/20 vision or your money back, and receive your very own personalised quote.
Our mission at Lasik Eyes is to make it easy to choose the right clinic for your ophthalmic treatment, pop in for a free consultation, and talk through your options with an eye expert. Here’s how:
Next steps: Our simple tool helps our readers every day get one step closer to 20/20 vision:
- Find a top clinic near you: Answer three questions to be matched with the leading eye clinic in your area
- Check you’re eligible in minutes: Receive a quick call to check you can get surgery (we will never share your number with anyone else)
- Receive a tailored quote: Talk to an expert at a clinic you can trust for a free eye test (worth £800) and personalised quote (with no obligation)
☛ Click here to find the best clinic near you, and receive a tailored quote.
Moorfields Surgeons Reviews
Mr Alexander C W Ionides
BSc FRCOphth MD.
Mr Vincenzo Maurino
Mr Bruce Allan
MD FRCS FRCOphth
Mr Stephen Tuft
Professor David S Gartry
MD, FRCS, FRCOphth, DO, BSc(Hons)
Mr Julian Stevens
MRCP, FRCS, FRCOphth,DO
Moorfields Eye Hosptial Reviews
Lynn Mortlock
I had my lasik in August with Miss Ficker and while I am pleased overall I am also slightly disappointed. I find that my right eye has regressed quite a lot and although I don't have to wear glasses at all I do find that I am straining to watch television or distant objects. At my 3 month check up Miss Ficker did offer to re-do the right eye but re-emphasised the risks that much that I am still thinking about it 3 months later. The right eye has altered itself so that I have monovision. The right one is better for close up and the left for long vision. As I have stated I do not have to wear glasses which is great but a lot of the time my eyes look tired. Think very carefully before you jump in!
Tim Wood
I had Wavefront LASIK with David Gartry on 28th February. I must say that everyone at Moorfields was very professional and I was seen by Dr Ilari for the initial Wavefront scan, a nice doctor from Trinidad (I think Dr Khan?) for the after care advice on the day of the operation, and of course Mr Gartry himself in the laser room, together with the charge nurse Mike Behrend and also another nurse whose name I cannot remember but I think was from NZ. All were super and very professional but at the same time friendly and chatty. My wife was more worried than I was! The actual procedure itself was simple and totally painless, not even uncomfortable. I went out to dinner with 12 friends from my Yacht Club the night of surgery and they were all amazed by how much I could see already, although distance was a bit blurred and remained so for probably a week before I was really comfortable with driving. But NO adverse side effects, no haloes or starbursts at night, no pain or even discomfort (and my wife says that like most men I’m such a baby that if it had hurt the world would have known about it…….) Before the op I had minus 8.50 right and minus 8 left, and significant astigmatism in both eyes. Mr Gartry saw me on the Monday after the op and told me I had 20/20 vision although to be honest it didn’t feel like it at the time. Now, 4 weeks later, it continues to improve and I can see far more than I ever did with glasses. My eyes water a bit in cold winds but then I suppose everyone’s do and if they are shielded behind glasses perhaps you don’t feel it. The odd day of ‘dry eye’ occurred but this has largely stopped now. I have to go and see Mr Gartry again next week and I’ll be interested to have the eye test and see what he thinks. I’m 49 and work with computers in an office, and there have been no problems on that front at all. I also sail and I’m really looking forward to getting out in the boat in the summer with no salt splashes on my glasses. I found this site to be extremely helpful and particularly to someone called Ian who had had the surgery and was kind enough to answer my email – I picked him because he had a similar large correction to mine. If you are considering it I cannot recommend Moorfields too highly. It is the best eye hospital in the world and I don’t know about you, but in this life you only get one set of eyes and if you can have the best then that’s for me and so far at least it seems that Moorfields and Mr Gartry is just that. Some may balk at the fee but any professional at the top of their profession charges accordingly. From my own professional knowledge I can assure you that you wouldn’t get a top London QC to even open his door to you for what Mr Gartry charges for the op. A couple of tips that you may find useful. Make sure you have a coffee before you arrive at Moorfields as theirs is from a machine and it is truly disgusting. There’s a Starbucks down the road. You may also find a cheap pair of swimming goggles useful to keep the water out of your eyes when showering during the week after the op. Make sure you get a brand big enough to cover your eyes without pressure on the lids. I used Adidas ones at £9.99 from JJB Sports. If anyone has any concerns please email me and I’ll try to answer. This cynical, seen it all before and don’t trust anyone 49 year old is truly amazed with the result. Early days yet, of course, but all seems fine so far.
Vicky Howarth
I am due to have an intial consultation with Mr Julian Stevens on 1st June for laser surgery and am just wondering if anyone can pass on any advice to me? I am particularly thinking of questions to ask, things to check up on etc etc. Also can anyone let me know if they have had surgery with him and how they found it (painful??). I have read all the comments on here and on the whole you all seem impressed, but I still need a bit of re-assurance! I'd like to know if anyone has had any problems so I can ask about these. Basically I want all the info I can get before going for the consultation so if anyone can help I'd be really grateful so please don't hesitate to email me. Thanks.
Cora
Has anybody had monovision laser surgery? I would be grateful for your comments as I am now deciding whether to have this surgery or not.
Maria
I had my lser eye surgery done on Friday 21 May at Moorfields eye hospital with Mr Julian Stevens. I had been thinking about the op since 1997 but never found a surgeon who would convince me they can do the "job" as good as Mr Stevens did. I had my initial consultation on 26 April and I was seen by very professional and experienced optometrists. In fact all stuff in the hospital were very professional. Then I was seen by Mr Stevens who had my eye sight results and he performed further tests to check whether I could have the op. I had several tests done and he ensured he had covered all angles! He then showed me on the computer his findings and what he was expecting to see and it was very impressive. He had all the time I wanted to answer my questions and help clear any doubts I hd. He is very experienced and his body language was very reassuring and inspired me confidence. On the day of the surgery I was seen by an excellent optometrist (she was the best I ever had in my life, and trust me I have seen so many!) and then after a long test of 50 minutes I signed the paperwork and then I had a chance to ask more questions and then after a small wait I was seen by Mr Stevens who did the wavefront scan and he could confirm that he wanted to go ahead with the op on the same day! The op did not last any more than 15 minutes for both eyes and it was a very intresting experience. Mr Stevens was very calm throughout and he was confident and had a nice sense of houmor. I was out of the hospital in no time and the following day when I realised I could see clearly, I was so pleased. Mr Stevens confirmed that it all went very well and my eyes were going to have 20/20 vision in 3 months time (thats how long it takes for the eye sight to stabilise). I can definitely recommend Mr Stevens and I would insist that he is the best. I woul dnot trust my eyes to anybody else. He made me feel like a person and not like another number. I can pick up the phone and ask them questions and go see him agian if I need to. There is some waiting list, but it is definitelly worth the wait.
Alison
I had wavefront surgery on Saturday 12th June with David Gartry. I cannot praise Mr. Gartry and his team enough. I feel I got the best treatment possible, and have just been for my follow up appointment today, 2 days later. I can now see the bottom line of the board perfectly in both eyes, which is considered 2 better than 20/20 vision. My eyes were -5 in both eyes before. I had often asked my optician before what she thought of laser surgery and she was always very scelptical. On my last visit to her, she did say she had seen excellent results from Mr. Garty, and would never ever recommend the high st clinics. This was enough reassurance for me, who practically faints at the sight of a needle. If you are considering this treatment, just go for the initial consultation. I am sure you will be like me and decide on the spot to got ahead. I would say that overall it was no worse than having a small filling at the dentist and nothing near as painful as having your legs waxed! I now feel I have been given a new gift and will certainly encourage my 2 daughters to have it done when they reach 21 (both have to wear glasses).
ann
I am considering surgery with Mr Vincenzo Maurino, I can't find any reviews. Does anyone have any experiences good/bad to share?
Claire
I had Wavefront with Mr Gartry on 29 May. I went for my consultation with the intention of having standard LASIK but Mr Gartry made the Wavefront sound like the best option and said given the choice he would choose Wavefront. At another £1000 it was something I had to seriously consider but found it quite difficult to research information on, in fact this site was about the best I could find reading other peoples experiences. With several questions I wanted to ask I e-mailed them a week before my date of surgery and, to cut a long story short, I had to persistently ring and e-mail the practice manager to get my answers. In the end after an irate conversation the day before my surgery, I finally got the reply an hour before my journey South. It was very brief, told me no more than I already knew and even missed out a question on my family history. It was a very stressful experience when you're feeling nervous about the surgery anyway, and I would recommend you give plenty of time for any replies to questions you might have as the surgeons are very busy and only in the John Saunders Suite for a limited time in the week. Also bear in mind that even though you may have written down your questions for your consultation, when it comes to reading them with dilated pupils it's extremely difficult and offputting. As for my surgery, well it went extremely smoothly, albeit production like. Yes it was unpleasant but not in any way painful. I was rather re-assured to see 3 others have theirs done before me who were -10 and -11!! (I'm only -1.5 and -2 with astigmatism). Note: There is no time to ask many questions as you're straight in the chair, hat on and drops in and I signed the consent form on the Laser machine!! At my check up 3 days later (bank Holiday)I could read the bottom line (a bit blurry). Was able to walk back to Liverpool St and on the train home had some stinging. By the evening could see better than with my lenses. Found the drops OK, a bit sticky, but showering and sleeping with those goggles was very tricky, glad when the first week was over. I had slight dryness for the following few weeks and used refresh drops when needed but no other side effects, no glare or halos which I was fearing (that's why I finally chose Wavefront, at least I don't ask myself 'what if?'). Got my next check up in a couple of weeks. I get some very slight inbalance in focus, usually when I'm tired but it's still early days yet and much better than my vision I had with toric lenses, and I put up with those for years! Thanks to everyone who has posted their experiences on this site, I found it extremely helpful in my research and will recommend it to anyone who is considering surgery. Please contact me if you want advice. Regards Claire.
ANN HALL
Can anybody help? I am so confused about all the sales hype re wavefront lasik. For years I have trailed round eye clinic after eye clinic, all but one saying that they could treat my eyes with one laser or another - but when it actually comes down to it never being able to show me some evidence that they had successfully performed the procedure on anyone with a prescription anywhere near my own. My current prescription is: Right + 4.75 (Sph) - 0.25 (Cyl) 40 (Axis Left + 1.75 I have recently had a consultation with a very well known clinic in my home city who tell me they have the only laser (wavefront lasik) in the Uk able to treat my prescription. Is this so? Has anybody out there any experience of laser eye surgery on eyes similar to mine? I need some real guidance and not a sales pitch!
somchai wattana
all comments that I have read so far are all concerned with the first few days following surgery. Has anyone had wavefront performed a year or two ago? If so, how is the long term result?
