The BBC has reported this week that a leading doctor in eye care has said that Wales is facing a “tidal wave of blindness” unless urgent improvements are made to the way specialist eye care is delivered.
This is because, according to latest figures, 75,000 people at greatest risk of losing their sight are waiting too long for treatment, and this number has almost doubled in just four years.
A shortage of specialists was making things worse. An external review of eye care in 2021 found that Wales had some of the lowest numbers of specialists anywhere in the UK.
In 2019, Wales became the first UK nation to introduce new eye care targets to try to make sure those at greatest risk of blindness get priority treatment. This initiative means that patients are given a maximum waiting time, according to their level of risk and how urgently they need to be seen.
95% of these patients should be seen no later than 25% beyond their target wait time. The statistics show that, in April 2019, just over 39,000 patients in Wales were waiting longer than this, which was 37% of people in the most urgent category.
However, by May 2023, that number had grown to just over 75,000 patients, which is 53% of those at greatest risk of sight loss.
President of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in Wales, Gwyn Williams, said:
“In truth we were barely coping when Covid came along and now we have no hope without innovative ideas and substantial investment in services infrastructure and new ways of working.”
He said:
“(We’ll see) a tidal wave, a tsunami of blindness across the whole country unless we are able to reorganise.”
RNIB Cymru said that the delays were having a profound effect on the lives of many. Their external affairs manager said:
“We are hearing from people terrified at home watching television, experiencing a deterioration while waiting for their next appointment. We know sight is the sense people are most afraid of losing. So you can imagine someone knowing that if they were seen on time their sight could be saved, but purely because there is no capacity in the system they are losing their sight as a result. That must be a terrible thing to come to terms with.”
The Welsh Government has said that it was improving access to services, which was helping to increase the number of cataract procedures undertaken and reduce the need for people to attend hospital.
Comment
The reports of delays with vital eye care across Wales are concerning, to say the least, and priority must be given to taking necessary action to curb the delays.
Delays in receiving treatment could be the difference between saving a person’s sight or permanently losing vision.
Deterioration in vision, or indeed loss of vision, is one of the most devastating situations a person can suffer. Substantial loss of vision can lead to life-changing consequences for the patient and for their families.
A patient who loses their sight may no longer be able to work, may require new accommodation, and may require full time care.
Coming to terms with loss of vision can feel impossible and this can be all the more difficult if this happens as a result of negligent medical care.
If you have suffered a loss of or deterioration in vision as a result of negligent delays with necessary treatment and/or negligent ophthalmic treatment, you could be entitled to claim compensation.
It is important to seek specialist advice at the earliest opportunity if you think you may have suffered as a result of clinical negligence.
How can Nelsons help
Danielle Young is a Legal Director in our Medical Negligence team, which has been ranked in tier one by the independently researched publication, The Legal 500.
If you have any questions in relation to the subjects discussed in this article, then please get in touch with Danielle or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester, or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.
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