Half of hospitals in England are allowing patients to jump NHS queues for cataract surgery if they pay for it themselves , new figures reveal ( file picture ) Half of hospitals are letting patients jump NHS queues for cataract surgery if they pay for it themselves , an investigation has revealed . Some are charging up to a ‘ shameful ’ £2,700 for one eye – treble what it costs the health service – raising suspicions that they are ripping off elderly patients . Cataract treatment is being rationed in England to save money , even though the NHS recently announced it would fund weight-loss surgery for 15,000 obese adults every year at a cost of £6,000 each . Yesterday the Mail revealed how millions was being wasted on prescriptions for suncream and toothpaste . Many NHS trusts have imposed arbitrary rules to determine who is eligible for cataract treatment , and patients who can not read , sew or watch television are routinely turned away . Those patients who do meet the strict criteria often have to wait eight months for treatment , over which time their eyesight deteriorates further and impairs basic tasks and hobbies . Freedom of Information responses from 78 hospital trusts in England obtained by the Mail found that 41 offered patients the opportunity to pay for cataract surgery themselves . The operation usually costs the NHS between £800 and £900 per eye , but some trusts are charging up to £2,700 . Campaigners accused hospitals of profiting from elderly patients . Clara Eaglen , from the Royal National Institute of Blind People , said : ‘ It ’ s shameful that people are being asked to consider funding their own treatment when they are entitled to it for free , and in a timely manner , on the NHS . Scroll down for video . ‘ We strongly believe that everyone who has a sight-threatening condition deserves early access to treatments. ’ Caroline Abrahams , of Age UK , said : ‘ In the last few years it has become harder to access cataract surgery as people are forced to wait for their sight to significantly deteriorate before getting help . ‘ It is extremely worrying if people whose sight is starting to fail feel the only way to get help quickly is to pay for it . ‘ Cataracts are extremely debilitating and treatment should be based on a clinical need not age or bank balance. ’ Katherine Murphy , chief executive of the Patients ’ Association , added : ‘ The NHS belongs to the people , and all patients have the right to access appropriate treatment at the right time and in the right setting , irrespective of their ability to pay ; we can not and should not have a two-tier NHS. ’ In England , 41 hospital trusts said they offered patients the opportunity to pay for cataract surgery . The operation costs the NHS about between £800 and £900 per eye , but some trusts are charging up to £2,700 . More than half of over-65s suffer from cataracts , which are cloudy patches in the lens that make vision blurred or misty . Sight can be restored in a simple 45-minute operation , with doctors using ultrasound waves to break up the cataract . Most hospitals charge patients between £700 and £1,000 per eye for cataract treatment and say the money is spent on improving services . But this rises to £2,552 at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey and £2,700 at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in Kent . Several trusts actively encourage patients to ‘ self-fund ’ . The University Hospital Southampton ’ s website informs patients that ‘ surgery will be offered much sooner than the usual NHS wait ’ . It adds : ‘ Our cataract choice service offers a new option , between the traditional private sector and the NHS , bringing private healthcare within the reach of many more people. ’ Yeovil District Hospital in Somerset says its private cataract service will ‘ help you get back to the things you love ’ . Patients at North Cumbria are offered free parking and a daily newspaper , while at Frimley Park they can choose from an ‘ exclusive a la carte menu ’ , which includes whitebait and chicken goujons .
Half of hospitals in England let patients jump queues if they pay for surgery . Charging up to £2,700 for cataract surgery on one eye - treble cost to NHS . Campaigners have accused hospitals of profiting from elderly patients .