Cataract waiting times show NHS under strain - Rennie

In response to an FOI request, NHS Tayside, whose ophthalmology department at Ninewells sees patients from North East Fife, revealed that 3,699 people were on its waiting list for cataract surgery.

Patients on the routine waiting list had been waiting up to 618 days, while the longest wait on the urgent waiting list was 370 days.

The board said that current expected waiting time for routine patients stretched to 260 days, and 89 days for urgent cases.

The same FOI request was submitted to NHS Fife but the health board said that it did not hold the information. In a separate letter it said that its data suggest outpatient cataract waiting times are approximately nineteen weeks. Mr Rennie’s office understands that some constituents are waiting up to a year.

Willie Rennie said: “I have heard from constituents who are concerned about long waits for cataract surgeries. These operations are crucial for people’s quality of life and ability to live independently. However the figures show some patients waiting for months or even years, and even urgent cases taking months.

“NHS staff are working exceptionally hard under difficult circumstances, but they have been let down by SNP ministers who have failed to get on top of the problems. Recent research by the IFS showed that the NHS in Scotland is recovering from the pandemic more slowly than elsewhere, and figures show that the number of planned operations is still below 2019 levels.

“Long waits for procedures such as cataract show the strain placed on health services. The government needs to redouble its efforts to end long waits and ensure that people can get the care they need in a timely way.”