Herefordshire's Border Health Alliance tackles cataract waiting times

A collaboration between eye care professionals in different specialisms has led to the creation of a cataract pathway in Herefordshire that sought to address long waiting times.  

Optometrists, ophthalmologists, dispensing opticians and orthoptists were all involved in the Border Health Alliance (BHA), which was founded in the aftermath of the pandemic. 

Darren Smith, optometrist, chair of Herefordshire local optical committee and director of BHA, said: ‘Herefordshire has seen excellent shared care services in eye health for over three decades and when the situation with local waiting times for cataract surgery became unmanageable, the obvious solution was one that involved all aspects of local eye care stakeholders working together.’