Berkshire patients travelling miles for cataract eye surgery

Cataract surgery is carried out in Reading, Newbury and Windsor

Thousands of people could be travelling long distances for cataract surgery unnecessarily, according to a hospital trust.

Clinicians at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust said they had seen a significant decline in referrals for the eye procedure in the past year.

The organisation is concerned patients are turning to unfamiliar healthcare providers after being told that local NHS units have long waiting lists.

But it said this was incorrect.

Cataracts occur when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy - and usually affects adults as a result of aging.

The surgery, which has a high success rate, involves replacing the cloudy lens with a clear, artificial one.

Most patients in the county receive treatment less than two months after being referred and waiting lists are short, according to clinicians.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the trust's ophthalmologists would receive around 500 cataract surgery referrals each month - but that number has now been halved.

Consultant ophthalmologist Martin Leyland said: "Local NHS waiting lists are currently very low so it is quick to be seen by experienced teams in Reading, Newbury and Windsor."

Patients with cataracts are being urged speak to their local optometrist and ask to be referred to Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.

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