Cataract patients go private

Waiting times at the NHS caused by the pandemic has created a 34.8% increase in the number of patients being treated at the Ophthalmic Consultants of London (OCL).

The private clinic’s surgeons have performed 47.1% more cataract operations than they did during the same period last year because of delayed NHS appointments.

Juliet Hicks, COO at OCL, said: ‘With around 10% of UK residents having private medical insurance and a further 5% choosing to pay for private treatment themselves, the private sector is providing a vital safety valve for the NHS as it has to prioritise its resources to tackle a second wave of coronavirus cases.’