Bill Harvey: Little fluffy clouds

Don’t grow old in Herefordshire.

According to data collected by NHS Digital, the health service’s statistical arm, patients in Herefordshire are facing average delays of five months and 17 days for cataract surgery. Waiting times in Great Yarmouth and Waveney in Norfolk are the second worst in England at 163 days, while they now average 154 days in North Lincolnshire.

The weekend papers were again filled with the latest figures showing the extent to which CCGs are willing to move cataract surgery down their priority list. Clearly, there are short-term gains to be made here by reducing the number of what they consider ‘non-priority’ procedures. Though, at a time where the average age is creeping up, reducing access to care for such a large swathe of their constituents might not be the cleverest policy.