Bill Harvey: Waiting for my man

A few weeks ago, I mentioned the problems suffered by my 90-year-old neighbour (let’s call him Alan, as that is still his name) who is still awaiting cataract extraction. His original surgery was due at the start of the first lockdown and was, understandably, postponed. His acuity is now significantly worse, making everyday tasks difficult, and his cataracts are visibly dense.

Since then, I have had a few messages from colleagues regarding this. Some, working in primary care, report similar stories from their elderly patients. A hospital colleague told me: ‘We are seeing an increasing number of patients with dense cataracts from whom we cannot get axial length measurements with normal biometry or even A-scan ultrasound, with the result that we cannot offer them surgery. They then have to be referred to an NHS hospital where they can have a B-scan. This then means that the patient is on a long waiting list for pre-op assessment and then again for surgery itself, possibly up to a year?