Latest news with #cataract surgery
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Investigation launched into SNP ministers over huge eye operation delays as thousands of Scots are forced to go private
An investigation has been launched into long waiting times for cataract surgery in light of MailOnline's revelations that thousands of hard-pressed Scots are having to go private. The Scottish Liberal Democrats are heaping pressure on SNP ministers after it was revealed 8,500 Scots were forced to raid their savings to pay for basic care last year – more than double those who went private in 2019. Nearly 19,000 people are stuck on NHS waiting lists for the eye op across Scotland – with one patient in NHS Grampian waiting for more than three years. Party leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has now filed more than 20 written questions to the Scottish Government to uncover the reasons behind such long delays. He said: 'I'm pleased to see MailOnline drawing attention to this important issue and piling the pressure on the Scottish Government. Patients having to go private or facing waits of up to three years to be able to see again is simply not on. 'Ministers need to ensure that cataract surgery waits come down and people can get the care they need swiftly. I want these patients to know that I am on their side. These questions are part of an effort to get to the bottom of what is holding back patients from getting the care they need.' Mr Cole-Hamilton has asked about staffing levels, the reasons for waiting times, and what contact Health Secretary Neil Gray has had with NHS boards over the delays. Earlier this month, the party revealed figures showing the true scale of cataract surgery waiting times with NHS Grampian admitted that one person had been on their treatment list for 1,253 days. Delays recorded at other health boards include 869 days in NHS Shetland, 824 days in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 680 days in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, 644 days in NHS Borders, 548 days in NHS Fife, 532 days in NHS Lanarkshire and 508 days in NHS Highland. In total 18,956 Scots are on a cataract surgery waiting list, with the longest list in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, where 3,207 people have been referred. NHS Fife is second, with 2,440 patients waiting for the surgery. MailOnline's own investigation found 8,500 Scots paid for cataract ops out of their own pocket in 2024, more than double the 4,075 people forced to go private for the surgery in 2019. Grandfather David Samson from Tayport in Fife has been waiting more than 19 months for a cataract operation on his right eye. The 87-year-old was first diagnosed in January 2024 and was originally told he would be treated within 18 weeks. That then became 18 months – and later almost two years. Mr Samson, a former kitchen designer and builder, hopes to finally be seen at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital in October. He said: 'It's not affecting my driving yet but I am anxious about it. My condition is slowly getting worse.' Mr Samson has a relative in England with the same condition who expects to be treated in 16 weeks. He added: 'I am 87. When I'm in my box I want to see where I'm going.' A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said it hopes to cut surgery waiting lists to 52 weeks by the end of the financial year. Mr Cole-Hamilton added: 'Our NHS is being held back by neglect and mismanagement from SNP ministers. 'The SNP has repeatedly demonstrated that the NHS will never be its priority.' A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'This year, we are investing a record £21.7 billion in health and social care including £106 million to help health boards tackle the longest waits and deliver over 300,000 additional appointments. 'The Scottish Government is clear that no one should face a lengthy wait for important surgery and procedures.'
Zawya
19-07-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Eritrea: Eye Surgery for Over 250 Citizens in Golij Sub-zone
As part of ongoing efforts to control blindness, cataract surgery was performed on over 250 citizens in the Golij sub-zone from 7 to 11 July. The surgeries were carried out by a medical team from Berhan Aini Hospital in Asmara. Dr. Merhawi Kiflom, Medical Director of the Golij Community Hospital, stated that the objective of the program was to provide citizens with access to eye care services, including surgical treatment, within their local areas. Mr. Alem Zekarias, Head of the National Blindness Control Program, noted that while cataract surgeries were previously conducted in collaboration with foreign experts, the current program was implemented entirely through local capacity. Dr. Eyob Beyene, one of the participating physicians, explained that cataracts often occur with age and are treatable and curable through timely surgical intervention. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scots going private and paying £2.5k for cataract surgery amid an SNP waiting list crisis for eye operations
Thousands hard-pressed Scots are raiding their savings to pay for cataract surgery amid soaring NHS waiting lists, MailOnline can reveal. Latest figures show 8,500 people north of the Border shelled out around £2,500 for the operation last year – more than double the number who went private in 2019. Some 19,000 people are currently stuck on an NHS waiting list for the eye surgery across Scotland. One patient under the care of NHS Grampian has been waiting for more than three years to receive treatment. The figures expose the scale of the NHS waiting times crisis under the SNP – and the lengths to which Scots are going in order to get timely care. Public Health Scotland last month admitted waits of more than two years for specialist NHS appointments and treatment were at record highs. It said the number of people stranded on a waiting list after being referred for an outpatient clinic more than two years ago stood at 5,262. That is despite First Minister John Swinney setting out in January that he would bring down waiting lists. Last night, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: 'I can only imagine the panic and distress that these waits are causing for patients. I know NHS staff are working hard to get waiting lists down but they are not getting the support they need from bosses and ministers... It's clear the SNP have no plan for tackling long waits for complex specialties.' Data obtained via the Private Healthcare Market Information group shows that 8,500 Scots paid for cataract operations out of their own pocket in 2024, more than double the 4,075 people forced to go private for the surgery in 2019. Figures obtained by Mr Cole-Hamilton's party found long NHS waits for cataract surgery – in which the eye's cloudy lens is swapped for a clear artificial lens – at a number of health boards. NHS Grampian admitted one person had been waiting for 1,253 days – almost three-and-a-half years. The longest waits elsewhere include 869 days in NHS Shetland, 824 days in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 680 days in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, 644 days in NHS Borders, 548 days in NHS Fife, 532 days in NHS Lanarkshire and 508 days in NHS Highland. Meanwhile, the figures show that in total 18,956 Scots are on a cataract waiting list, with the longest list being in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, where 3,207 people have been referred. Embattled NHS Fife comes in second, with 2,440 patients waiting for the surgery. Embattled NHS Fife comes in second, with 2,440 patients waiting for the surgery. A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'We have allocated £106million to health boards to help tackle the longest waits and deliver over 150,000 additional appointments and procedures.'
