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Islanders potentially suffering from cataracts or other serious eye conditions are having to wait nearly two years for a first assessment amid significant struggles to staff the department.
Revealing that the current ophthalmology waiting time stands at 21 months despite several drives to bring it down in recent years, the Health Minister described the situation as "completely unacceptable".
Deputy Karen Wilson also said that the department currently advertising for a specialist nurse for the second time after receiving no applications previously, and was looking at drafting in "external quality-assured providers" once again to help ease pressure.
"I would have preferred to see the waiting lists and times in a better position at this time, but I recognise that a variety of factors have impacted efforts," she said in answer to a written question lodged by Deputy Geoff Southern.
Pictured: The routine wait in ophthalmology is currently at 21 months for an initial assessment.
Deputy Karen Wilson explained that the long ophthalmology wait times are currently being targeted through the Waiting List Recovery Project, and recruitment to medical and specialist nursing posts.
More than 90% of the patients are waiting for routine cataract appointments.
She said that, as a result, it is anticipated that a considerable reduction of the waiting list will be seen by the second quarter of 2024.
Deputy Wilson confirmed that the Government are currently speaking to external providers who may be able to help those on the island's ophthalmology waiting list.
She explained that this service aims to "provide additional capacity for a time-limited period" which she hopes will "reduce the time patients are waiting for ophthalmology".
This is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2024.
The Health Minister also confirmed that successful recruitment into the last medical vacancy in ophthalmology took place over the summer, with the successful
applicant scheduled to commence work in November 2023.
"This will provide the department with a ring-fenced cataract clinic each week," she explained.
However, Deputy Wilson said that the ophthalmology department is currently advertising for a specialist nurse for the second time after the first job listing didn't receive a single application.
In 2021, a spokesperson for the Government said the Health Department’s ophthalmology services were “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.
In August of that year, the Ophthalmology Department received funding to recruit more staff in response to "pressures" which had culminated in long waiting times for appointments and operations, including up to five months for cataract surgery.
Pictured: Additional staff were brought in to help cut down waiting times.
The department spent over £261,444 – inclusive of staff expenses - bringing in an ophthalmic team to the island to help cut down waiting times.
The team included 13 members of staff, including two ophthalmologists and eight nurses or Operating Department Practitioners, split into an outpatient team and a theatre one.
Despite this quarter-of-a-million funding injection, there were more than 500 islanders still awaiting their first ophthalmology appointment in February 2022.
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