Surgery rates queried

Cataract surgery rates have soared 10-fold over the past 40 years in England because of changes in referrals from channels such as optical practices and a government push to boost supply, according to research findings due to be published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

But the huge increase and wide geographical variation in rates suggest that the NHS is now oversupplied with the procedure, which has led to funding shortages and training issues, the authors claim.

The research team analysed national data on hospital admissions for cataract surgery in England from 1968 to 2004. They also looked at similar data for the former regional health authority area of Oxford.