Funding injection to clamp down on cataract waiting times

Tuesday 17 August 2021

Jersey's Ophthalmology Department has been granted funding to recruit more staff in response to "pressures" culminating in long waiting times for appointments and operations, including up to five months for cataract surgery.

Cataracts are when the lens of an eye develop 'cloudy' patches, causing blurry vision and creating difficulty performing in day-to-day tasks like driving. If left untreated, they can result in blindness.

There are currently 325 patients waiting for cataract surgery, with the current average waiting time standing at 152 days, but no operations - either publicly or privately funded - have taken place since 19 July this year.

No routine cataract surgery has taken place, either publicly or privately funded, since 19 July 2021.

Contacted by Express, a spokesperson for the Government said the Health Department’s ophthalmology services were currently “under pressure” due to a combination of “baseline demand” outstripping capacity and additional challenges caused by the pandemic, which led to surgeries stopping for a period of time.

“This has culminated in long waits for first outpatient appointments and surgery,” the spokesperson said.

Pictured: The waiting list for cataract surgery is currently 152 days.

They said the Ophthalmology Department has since been granted funding to recruit additional medical, nursing and support staff to meet the current demand.

Funding has also been received through covid-19 ‘recovery investments’ to help clear the surgical waiting list that developed during the pandemic.

“HCS is working with an external clinical team to assist with a bespoke piece of waiting list support work, seeing and designing onward management plans for 210 of our longest waiting outpatients and treating 130 of our longest waiting surgical patients over a six-week period from the end of August 21,” the spokesperson said.

“Alongside this, efforts are continuing to be made to recruit to substantive positions within the Ophthalmology Medical team to develop a sustainable, efficient on-island service for our patients.”

Issues around the Ophthalmology service were recently raised by local campaign group, The Friends of Our New Hospital Group, in a letter to the Health Minister, Deputy Richard Renouf.

They suggested there was a waiting list of up to three years for the removal of eye cataracts and noted that patients could receive the surgery privately at a cost of £3,000, which they said was “not a service”.

“It is possible for private cataract surgery to be undertaken in a shorter timeframe,” a spokesperson said. “Dedicated public and private lists exist within the HCS theatre schedule with private theatre lists funded through payments from insurance companies or self-funders. Without this funding mechanism, these lists would not exist. The cost of private procedures includes a fee from the Consultants involved, which is set by the individual Consultant.”

The campaign group also recently called out what they described as “worryingly high” vacancy levels among the hospital's clinical and nursing staff.

In a bulletin published earlier this month, they said there were currently "31 vacancies (19 consultants and 12 Junior doctors)” at the hospital.

Last month, some elective surgery procedures had to be cancelled due to staff shortages in the hospital's operating theatres.

At the time, Health Minister Deputy Richard Renouf said they were down 17 workers, including five people who had retired, nine who were on holiday, and one who had moved to the UK.

In early August, however, the Government said that there were enough staff to return to work, with locums taken on, saying that it was normal that "each August, the operating theatre department works at a reduced capacity."