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
Ben Yeomans
This is on behalf of my wife Paola.
She had bilateral LASIK with Miss Ficker on 18/01/2002. Paola had no myopia or hyperopia but high astigmatism (-6.0 and -6.5). A few private clinics had already rejected her on the basis of her astigmatism alone, so we visited Moorfields to investigate other surgical possibilities. We were quite surprised when Miss Ficker told us that LASIK would be perfectly possible. She was patient and thorough in the consultation and advised Paola to think carefully about the surgery and even gave her the details of a recommended contact lens practitioner in case she wanted to try that instead (she'd only used glasses).
We had to wait about 5 weeks for an appointment, and we were both getting rather worried. I read various horror stories on the internet and compiled a list of what I hoped were searching (but were probably just naive) questions for Miss Ficker which I emailed to her. I was particularly concerned that Paola's astigmatism was very high and that other clinics had refused her. Miss Ficker answered my questions and reassured me somewhat.
On the big day we went into the main hospital after paying for the operation, and waited a short time for Miss Ficker. After a final eye test, everything was ready. Miss Ficker allowed me into the laser room so that I could translate her instructions to Paola. Paola said that the operation was quite painful (the suction ring especially) but there was very little pain afterwards. We went home with the eye drops. Paola's eyes were very sensitive to light and her vision was very blurred.
Over the next few days her vision gradually improved and continues to improve. There have been no side-effects and she's very happy with the outcome of the operation.
We would recommend Moorfields. They have good equipment (the latest VisX model) and of course the surgeons are recognised experts in cornea surgery. I'd much rather go to someone who does all kinds of eye surgery than someone who just does LASIK. I also believe that a good surgeon is much more important than having the flashiest equipment.
Aatish Thakerar
When walking into Moorfields eye hospital, you are already acutely aware that you’ll be receiving the best patient care and treatment available. This alone makes the process of going through eye surgery infinitely easier.
On the day of my treatment, I was guided through the correct department, promptly taken through all my checks, and reassured by staff. Even though there are other patients waiting outside, I never once felt rushed. After the surgery, I had a number of aftercare options explained to me, along with how I should be using the medical drops (all provided in the overall surgery cost), and given my consultant’s personal card in case of any emergencies.
I would be very happy to recommend the hospital to anyone who is looking to put the quality of the surgeon and patient aftercare at the forefront of their priorities for the surgery. Moorfields is not cheap, but the experience and sense of security is very much worth it.
David Graham
This is a really life improving operation. I was operated on last Friday by Julian Stevens. Operation was painless and nothing to worry about. Sunday played 18 holes of golf. Previously very short sighted -7. There is nothing to fault about Moorfields and their team - you are going to the best in the UK and I would recommend them.
Dan Parsons
My Doctor and two Opticians recommended David Gartry to me. The Optician I had been with for the past 19 years said that David Gartry is very well known for his expertise in Eye Surgery and trained with him many years ago. With three professional people telling me to go to him I though I'd give it a try.
First I had a consultation with a consultant from Maxi-vision, I have to say it was excellent, very thorough and there was no hard sell which is what I was looking for. My second consultation was with David Gartry at the beginning of March 2002.
Having never had Private Surgery I didn't realise that you are literally in and out and things aren't done at a slow pace. Having said that, I did get to ask lot's of questions. The one thing which filled me with confidence was the fact that I was talking to the surgeon, the guy who would be operating on me. If you have consultations with one of these highstreet places then all you do is speak to a consultant.
David filled me with confidence, he told me what to expect, what problems he's experienced and hasn't experienced, the amount of operations he's carried out and so on. This is what I wanted to hear, I didn't want to see the surgeon on the day of surgery.
My prescription was -7.5 in each eye, although with my astigmatism I may as well have been a -8!! David advised that he could, at the best get it to -0.5 to -1.0.
I had my surgery on Saturday 4th May 2002. It was fantastic, less than ten minutes each eye. My left eye was done first and I've never felt my heart rate jump so quickly but half way through I sat there thinking "is that it?", then the right eye was done and I was thinking "hmm, not much to this" and was quite relaxed. David spoke to me throughout the surgery which was good and I was able to ask him questions throughout. There was NO pain and NO discomfort, absolutely amazing.
As soon as I stood up I had already noticed a difference. By the time I got home to Bournemouth my vision was really good, eyes ached a little but no major pain. And once I woke up on Sunday morning it was better still.
It's been over a week and my vision is still improving. My vision in poorly lit areas, particulary where there is a lot of artifical light isn't too good at the moment. My pupils were large anyway and I suffered from star bursts before the surgery. My vision now at night time is a little worse than when I wore contact lenses but it is improving. I am hoping it will almost disappear. With age it will and I spoke to a friend who had the surgery and he said it took a while, so hopefully over the next few months I'll see the halo's reduce.
David Gartry is fantastic and worth spending the money going to moorfields, it is afterall, probably the most well known eye hospital in the world. Pay the extra (which isn't much) and have it done by the best, it's worth it, they're your eyes!! At present I almost have 20/20 vision which is out of this world and couldn't have asked for much more. This is better than what was predicted.
It could regress slightly but I have a long road ahead of me before I can get a prescription but I hope it stay's roughly the same as it is now.
DEEPAK NAINANI
I MET MR J STEVENS FOR AN INITIAL APPT AND HE EXPLAINED THE PROS AND CONS OF LASIK FOR MY PARTICULAR PRESCRIPTION. MINUS
3.75 IN BOTH EYES WITH ASTIGMATISM -1.00.
ALTHOUGH IT WAS VERY LATE IN THE EVENING, HE TOOK THE TIME TO ANSWER ALL MY QUESTIONS AND EXPLAINED EVERYTHING IN MINUTE DETAIL, WITH WHICH I WAS IMPRESSED.
HOWEVER, I DID NOT GO AHEAD WITH THE LASIK OP AS I AM CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBLE RISKS. IE. GHOSTING, DRY EYES, REGRESSION ETC. SO FOR THE MOMENT I HAVE RESIGNED MYSELF TO GLASSES AND CONTACTS.
IF IN FUTURE I DO GO AHEAD WITH LASIK, I'M SURE IT WILL BE AT MOORFIELDS.
IF ANYONE HAS A SIMILIAR PRESCRIPTION AND HAS HAD THE SURGERY DONE AT MOORFIELDS OR ANYWHERE ELSE, I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO HEAR OF THE OUTCOME.
David Meadows
Had surgery on Monday 16th. I found the clamping and suction part to create the LASIK flap a bit uncomfortable but was glad the operation was so quick. Was very happy afterwards and was treated well. Like most of Mr Gartry's appointments the follow up on Tuesday was very quick but not really much to say though as everything was fine.Woke up on Tuesday morning with very clear vision - before I had -4.75 in both eyes. it is now Wednesday and I am back at work with no problems. Am looking forward to minor improvemnts but it is almost perfect already. Go for it. Spend that extra cash for reassurance. I'm 25 so may more years left to enjoy my new found vision.
Annette
I had LASIK on 18th September with Miss Linda Ficker. The procedure was quick and painless, but I was still grateful to the second doctor (don't know his name) who let me hold his hand (very tightly) throughout! Miss Ficker talked me through the operation which was reassuring. The team of 3 including Miss Ficker were all very professional. Immediately after the operation my eyes were pretty bloodshot (which is normal) and my vision was quite hazy. There was some minor discomfort, but after about 3 hours my eyes felt and looked fine and I've had no problems at all. My prescription was -6 in my right eye and -7.5 in my left with some astigmatism, but now I don't even need glasses for driving. My left eye is not quite as good as my right, but only marginally. I'm absolutely delighted with the result, seems like a miracle after years of being short-sighted.
Steve Chatwin
I have just had my first appointment with Dr Gartry and I have now booked myself in to have the LASIK procedure in a couple of weeks. It has taken rather a long time to summon the up the courage to walk through the door for the intital consultation but Dr Garty was honest, and extremely reassuring. I now feel confident about the operation and I can't wait to throw away my lenses.
Matt Boucher
Unfortunately there is no rating for unbelievable on this chart. I had LASIK eye surgery about 6 weeks ago with Dr. Stevens and the whole process is an absolute revelation. Took the morning off work and went to the consultation with my sister praying that I could qualify and once all the tests were done the good news came though. Sounds harsh, but the news that my sister didn't qualify for the surgery actually made me feel more confident in Dr.Stevens. Two weeks later, I had the surgery and it was completely smooth. I nearly ripped the arm off the nurse at certain stages but I couldn't believe that it took the best part of 10 minutes and then that evening I could sit in front of the Commonwealth games highlights. Quite simply I woke up the following morning and that was that. Best money i've ever spent. Full stop.
Paula Flynn
I qualified for the Excimer Laser LASIK Trial at Moorfields (now finished) and have had both eyes corrected (28th Feb left, 5th July right) last year - 2001. Being part of the trial meant that I about 50% reduction on surgery costs (no consultation fee) but it meant attending check-ups at the hospital for one week, one month, three months, six months and one year. Apart from the inconvenience of travelling from Berkshire to central London, I found the amount of aftercare really assurring. It has also been possible to monitor the progress of my vision as my eyes heal. I was moderately short sighted at -4.0 and -4.5 with slight astigmatism in the left. My vision is better than 20/20 but I am now very slighty long sighted at about +0.50 in each but not enough to warrant glasses. I have only recently encountered eye strain when using VDUs after a three month career break. My eyes get tired very easily and quite dry. Also, beware of opticians...mine tried to convince me that I needed glasses of +1.25 and +1.00 which is totally untrue!! Moorfields have been absolutely fantastic and the level of service I have, and continue, to receive would restore anyone's faith in the NHS. Absolutely brilliant!!
