Cataract cases 'given priority'

Cataract surgeons could be operating unnecessarily early on some patients because the NHS is concentrating too much on cataract surgery according to an independent think tank.

The King's Fund suggested there was evidence that some people with 'rather good vision who would not normally be admitted for the operation so soon' were having surgery.

The think tank's chief economist, John Appleby, told The Daily Telegraph that the NHS had been carrying out easier operations and delaying more difficult procedures.

The King's Fund estimated that while cataract operations cost the NHS around £600 to £700 each, hip or knee replacements cost around 10 times that.