The outpatient eye care waiting list has continued to increase and reached 41,600 by the end of last month.
This figure has continued to increase, as it is up from 40,000 patients at the end of 2017 and 38,100 patients 12 months previously. A total of 16,100 patients have been waiting for more than a year and 9,600 have been waiting for more than 18 months.
Sean McCrave, AOI’s chief executive, said: ‘While there was a slight reduction in the inpatients list, in contrast the outpatient list is spiralling further out of control. AOI welcomes some additional theatre space at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear and Nenagh Hospitals this year, but these will not address this scale of demand and delays. And we also have a growing aged population year on year.’
McCrave has highlighted the need for better organisation of cataracts surgery, which makes up a significant amount of the waiting list backlog. He has called for a national roll-out of the Sligo Post-Cataract Scheme, which has reduced waiting times and costs in the region where it is available.