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
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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)
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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
Graham
I chose Moorfields Eye Hospital on a recommendation from a friend. Moorfields is certainly the best place to go for surgery in terms of the quality and experience of the surgeons and the technology, along with the excellent after-care. Knowing that you are in the best place possible for correcting your eyesight is very reassuring. The pre-assessment was excellent, the staff friendly and helpful. The surgeon was Bruce Allan. Surgery was pain free and the treatment corrected my myopia and astigmatism. I would not hesitate to have the surgery again. I only wish I had it many years ago. I would say that my experience at Moorfields was fantastic and I do not regret my decision to pay that little bit extra for the best. Very pleased indeed.
Kam
They're your eyes and eye transplant surgery (a la Tom Cruise and Minority Report) just doesn't exist (yet) so there is only one choice - Moorfields. I don't want to discredit any other commercial establishments but I particularly wanted to avoid anywhere that felt the need to advertise on TV, and especially those using old, retired athletes in their ad campaigns (no disrespect intended - just my own personal feelings). Chose Prof Gartry after some background reading. As a previous reviewer has indicated, you want somebody who you can trust in the extremely unlikely event that something does go wrong. Both the creation of the flap and the actual reshaping of the cornea is done by lasers so you can forget the image of a surgeon with an oldskool scalpel cutting away at your eyes! Anyway, the good prof answered the very few questions that I had during our first consultation. One thing I must stress is that the consultation is there for both patient and doctor to discuss and, hopefully, be happy to procede with treatment. You choose a surgeon but he or she also chooses, or not, to take you as a patient. Most people don't even consider this but I feel that it's an important point to make, especially in today's commercial society where people have a tendencey to truly believe that 'I am the customer and, therefore, I am always right and I will get what I ask for!'. For the record, I was circa -4.75 and 1.5 astigamatic. The prof was very factual about potential results. Do yourself a favour and do some preemptive background reading on the topic. I went in with a very simple wish - I wanted "better" vision, not "perfect" just better. I was simply tired of not being able to see the clock whenever I woke up in the middle of the night. That and I also had this crazy notion of surviving a plane crash at sea only then not to be able to see where I was swimming! I am 38, oriental descent, straight forward, technically oriented, not particularly squeamish, reasonably high pain threshold, 'just wanna get things dun' kinda guy. I can't say that I'm keen sportsman although I am car nut and a bit of a DIY freak - so getting better vision was definitely worthwhile! If you're of a similar mindset and are considering refractive laser correction then get yourself down to Moorfields and see the good professor. He's a good chap, will talk you through what you want/need to know during consultation and talk you through the procedure on the day while it's actually happenning. It's a good thing because there's not really very much to see during the process except a green grid and indistinct flashing red light source. The actual process itself is painless, save perhaps a slight discomfort when your eyes get attached with a 'keepy open' device - handy cos you don't want to be blinking. Most of the time is spent on prep. The laser time per eye is less than a minute, depending on your prescription. As previously mentioned, be prepared for a burning smell during the reshaping of the cornea. The smell reminded me of burning off remnant feathers on uncooked chicken in food prep - kinda made me chuckle. Once the procedure was complete it was obvious that I could/would see better without glasses or lenses, even though everythign was blurry as hell. It's a different kind of blur to the myopic fuzz. There are a number of eye drops which need to be used a number of weeks post op. This is perhaps the most inconvenient part of the whole process - remembering to use them on time and having to keep some in the fridge (preservative free). I went for my post op check up 48hrs afterward. The prof asked me what line I could read on the chart. I was a little dissapointed at not being able to read the bottom line but could manage the one above. The good news was that the THIRD line from the bottom was 20/20 vision! So there you go - manage your own expectations and you might be pleasantly surprised! I was lucky on timings in that I was all done in three days from consulatation to completed surgery (slipped in on a cancellation). However, do expect a couple of week's wait to get to first consultation - all good professionals have a long waiting list. It might cost more than other places but you know the old adage - buy cheap, buy twice! You only have one set of eyes. If you want laser correction then I can definitely recommend Moorfields and Prof Gartry. As far as I'm concerned, he's the top dawg!
Andrew
I am a keen sportsman (football, tennis etc) and can honestly say that LASIK has made a massive difference. Mr Bruce Allan treated me earlier this year and he and his team at Moorfields did a great job at every stage. The initial consultation was thorough, the surgery was much easier than I thought it would be, and the results are excellent. I was pretty anxious on the day of the operation and found the way Mr Allan coached me through the treatment particularly helpful. I was at work the next day and have not looked back. Thoroughly recommended.
Lucy
I chose Moorfields on a recommendation from a friend who was delighted with the results of her LASIK she'd had done a year or so back. Moorfields Eye Hospital seemed like the best place to go for surgery in terms of the quality and experience of the surgeons and the technology, along with excellent after-care. Although it was pricey, knowing that you are in one of the best places possible for correcting your eyesight was very reassuring; it was worth the money to know I was in as safe hands as possible. My pre-assessment was excellent, all the staff were friendly and welcoming, immediately putting me at ease. I also met with my surgeon, Prof. David Gartry, who answered all of my questions and I immediately knew I had chosen the right man for the job. I was very nervous on the day of the surgery, but David Gartry explained what was happening as he went along which was very reassuring. I did find the whole experience bizarre and it did sting a little tiny bit, but it wasn't half as bad as I had envisaged. The few hours after surgery were uncomfortable but not intolerable (sore watery eyes and sensitive to light), but then my eyes dramatically improved suddenly after a few hours and by the evening I was watching TV and could see perfectly! I had a check-up with David Gartry the day after the operation, and I was glad to hear everything was on track. An eye test confirmed my eyesight was basically pilot's vision! I am now on the 4th day of recovery and my eyes are only a tiny eeny bit sore and dry but they seem to be getting better day by day (all the drops they give you help this). I have another appointment in 3 months time for the final eyetest (this is when everything is properly healed and the eyesight has settled down completely from the surgery). I would say that my experience at Moorfields was fantastic and I do not regret my decision to pay that little bit extra for the best. Very pleased indeed, so far.
Fiona Hardy
Had my surgery last Wednesday for my shortsightedness, on the table for 20 mins and no pain whatsoever , just a strange sensation of flashing lights and eye drops really . Came out and eyesight great just looked foggy which is normal apparently. No discomfort . It's now 2 days later and my sight is perfect. Mr Stevens is very nice, calm and reassuring so if you were nervous completely puts you at ease. Thank You so much , I still can't quite get used to the fact that I don't have to take out my lenses !! Highly recommended !
EK
Surgery performed by Mr. Vincenzo Maurino after a number of very thorough conversations around risks and benefits. Fantastic result with 20/20 vision in just a few hours, excellent and very professional service by Moorfields staff. Great aftercare too. Highly recommended.
