AN initiative to cut waiting times at the General Hospital has seen 177 Islanders travel to Southampton for cataract surgery over the past five months.
With some patients having previously needed to wait more than a year for the procedure, which involves a replacement artificial lens being inserted in the eye, the Health Department agreed to collaborate with the specialist ophthalmic centre in Southampton to speed the process up.
Emily Hoban, head of access for Health, said the move helped reduce waiting times to under a year, with the hope that this figure would be reduced further by the end of 2024 towards the department’s target of six months. Initiatives are also in place covering other areas, she added.
It is estimated that around 500 patients have had their cataracts treated at the General Hospital over the same period, with the 177 additional procedures carried out since Easter coming on top of this figure.
Ms Hoban said that the increase in waiting times dated back to the Covid-19 pandemic, with limited theatre capacity at the Hospital meaning it was not possible to bring over additional staff to Jersey.
Those diagnosed with cataracts would typically be aged over 60, she added, with those meeting clinical criteria for the procedure in the UK then offered it as an option.
“No one is obliged to travel away for this, and it will typically be younger patients who will choose to make the trip rather than wait to be seen in Jersey when they get to the top of the list,” she said. “Feedback has been really positive so far and it’s really good news that patients aren’t waiting as long.”
The usual arrangement for patients travelling to Southampton is to take a flight on Thursday morning in time for the procedure during the afternoon. Patients then spend the night at a hotel, returning to the clinic the following morning for a post-operative review – this enables a “fit to fly” certificate to be issued ahead of the flight back to Jersey later on the Friday.
Ms Hoban said waiting times were constantly monitored and that there were other initiatives which were also aimed to reduce waits:
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The Health Department has partnered with dental surgeries in Jersey to provide more capacity for orthodontic procedures.
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Waiting times for endoscopy patients are being tackled by “insourcing” – additional specialist clinicians being brought in to work alongside existing staff.
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A similar “insourcing” initiative is commencing for patients requiring electrocardiogram (ECG) tests or treatment.
Cataracts
Cataracts are cloudy patches which develop on the lenses of the eyes – small transparent discs
While younger people usually have lenses like clear glass, enabling clear vision, the lenses may become “frosted” with age and begin to restrict vision
Cataract surgery involves replacing the cloudy lens inside the eye with an artificial one
There is a high success rate in improving a patient’s eyesight, with full recovery expected in two to six weeks after surgery
(Source: nhs.uk website)
The patient’s experience
Colin Ireson (74) went to Southampton in April to have cataract surgery for the second time, following a procedure on his other eye three years ago.
“I’d been on the waiting list for about two years and there’d been gradual deterioration in my sight, so when I was offered the chance to go to Southampton, it was a no-brainer – I was happy to travel.
“Health arranged everything – the hardest part was getting up for the ‘red-eye’ flight, but once we got there it was very well organised. They told us when we should go over the road for lunch and what time to be back and then everyone was done by 5.15pm and off to the hotel.
“I made friends with others on the trip, including a man in his 80s who knew my parents – it was quite jolly, although we probably looked a bit strange to others at the Premier Inn as we sat there having dinner with our eye patches.
“We had another early start on the Friday so we could go back to be assessed and were off to the airport by lunchtime.
“My eyesight was good by the Monday, so I was very pleased with it, and have spoken to three or four others who were also doing well and happy with how things had gone.”
