Chris Bennett: Testing the think tank’s bathwater

Babies and bathwater spring to mind when taking a deeper dive into the report on cataract services from the NHS-leaning think tank, the Centre for Health and the Public Interest (CHPI) ( 7 Days, pg 4).

Given the hopes of UK optics, post-election, to hold Wes Streeting to his pre-election pronouncements on the integration of primary and secondary eye care, it shows the enormity of the task and the diversity of views. And it’s a warning to UK optics to get its arse into gear if it stands any chance of securing change.

The report is a mine of information on the delivery of NHS cataract services helped by a Freedom of Information request to 50 NHS Trusts. It shows how funding has fallen within the NHS as fewer procedures have been conducted there. CHPI says this impacts the ability of NHS ophthalmologists to train and takes money away from other, more costly and expensive, eye care services. It says the private sector is cherry picking easy cases.