19/08/2003

£73m ploughed into operations to reduce cataracts

Patients can expect shorter waiting times for cataract operations after a £73 million investment in improved services.

Strategic health authorities are now allocating the money locally to further the government’s national cataract initiative. This aims to reduce waiting times for operations to three months by December 2004.

Currently, more than 50,000 older people are waiting over three months for cataract treatment. One quarter of all people over 75 develop a cataract.

Primary care trusts will receive a share of £52 million to fund extra operations in existing NHS eye units and diagnosis and treatment centres (DTCs).

Most of these operations can be performed quickly and the patient is able to return home on the same day.

Once waiting times for the majority of operations have been reduced to six weeks, the aim is that pilot schemes will be run to establish systems to offer patients the choice of where they are referred by their GP.

(gmcg)

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