Cataract waiting lists to be eliminated by 2019 as new unit opens

Waiting lists for cataract operations for most patients in the greater Dublin area are to be eliminated by 2019 following the opening of a new unit in the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital.

The unit, which was opened by Minister for Health Simon Harris on Monday, will more than double the capacity of the hospital to carry out cataract operations.

The hospital says it will deliver an additional cataract procedures a year, thereby eliminating its waiting lists by next year and overall waiting lists in the Ireland East hospital group by the following year.

Mr Harris said the new theatre capacity would make a major contribution to tackling waiting lists for the procedure in the hospital group and nationally. “It is a real demonstration that our health service can respond to the challenges that we face and deliver better outcomes for patients.”

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Currently, there are 3,180 patients on the waiting lists in the group, with an average wait time of 8.5 months. Without the additional capacity, this was forecast to grow to 12,000 by 2021 due to increasing demand as the population ages.

The unit will be open four days a week and will prioritise the longest-waiting patients.

Cataract operation

One of these is Sister Margaret Quinn, who was waiting for a cataract operation for four years until she became one of the first patients to be treated in the new unit.

Sr Quinn said her vision was very cloudy before her surgery, as she struggled to recognise objects or see pictures clearly. “Even locking up my house at night became an issue, as I couldn’t tell which doors and windows were open.”

Since undergoing the procedure in one eye, the difference is “like night and day”, she said. “The vision in my right eye is completely clear and it’s truly wonderful. Not only can I stop to smell the flowers, but I can also appreciate their magnificent colour and shape.”

Consultant opthalmic surgeon Paul Moriarty said tackling wet acute macular degeneration (AMR) was the next “big hill” for the health services to climb in eye services and a national programme was needed. Acute AMR causes irreversible damage to the eye, in contrast to cataracts, and therefore needs to be treated promptly.

Mr Harris promised to make resources available to implement the primary eye-care strategy, which was published last week.

The Ireland East hospital group embraces 11 hospitals in Dublin, Mullingar, Kilkenny, Wexford and Navan.