Free Video Assessment or In-Person Consultation? How to Choose

If you're thinking about cataract surgery, your first decision isn't about the surgery itself, it's about how you want to have that first conversation. Cataract Doctor offers two ways to get started: a free video assessment or an in-person consultation.

Both are with Professor Paul Ursell directly, but they serve different stages of your decision, and knowing which one fits you now will save you time.

A free video assessment is a 15-minute video call with Professor Paul Ursell, from wherever you are.

There's no cost and no obligation to book treatment. It's designed for an early, low-pressure conversation: talking through your symptoms, your goals for your vision, and what your options might look like.

It's a genuine conversation with the surgeon who would carry out your treatment, rather than a general screening call with a patient advisor, which is how a lot of comparable video consultations elsewhere work.

You can book a free video call assessment directly from the appointments page. What it can't do is physically examine your eye.

There's no way to measure eye pressure or carry out detailed scans over a video call, so if you decide to go ahead with surgery, you'll still need an in-person visit before anything can be booked in.

An in-person consultation is a detailed, unhurried, 30-minute appointment at either our Wimbledon or Ashtead hospital, both with free on-site parking.

It's scheduled for 30 minutes, but unhurried, if you need more time to talk things through, that's perfectly fine.

Professor Ursell carries out a full eye examination, and if it's medically needed, more advanced scans to assess your eyes properly, these are charged separately where they apply.

This is a genuinely personal conversation rather than a quick check-up, built around your vision, your lifestyle, and what you want from treatment.

It costs £320, and if you decide to go ahead, this is also where surgery pricing, consent, and your surgery date get confirmed, often with little or no waiting.

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Start with a free video assessment if:

• You're not sure yet whether private treatment is right for you
• You want a straightforward conversation about your symptoms before committing to anything
• You're comparing your options and want clear, direct answers first

Book an in-person consultation if:

• Your vision is already affecting daily life like driving or reading
• You already know you want private treatment and are ready to move forward
• You want to find out exactly what surgery would cost and get a date booked

There's no wrong order to do this in. Plenty of patients have a video assessment first and come in for a consultation once they've had time to think it over, and just as many go straight to an in-person consultation because they already know what they want.

If you're still not sure where you stand, our quick self-test is also worth doing before you book either call.

If you go ahead with surgery, your follow-up care is built into your package, with as many visits as you need over the following weeks to make sure you're fully satisfied with the result.