Cataract ops face a 12-month delay
MOST cataract operations on the island have been put on hold as ophthalmology services face major recruitment issues that will not be resolved for more than 12 months.
Medical Specialist Group chairman Steve Evans said that the department was facing major and unexpected challenges following the departures of three senior doctors.
One consultant left at short notice, another is on long-term leave and a third retired recently, leaving the MSG with just one permanent consultant, with the support of experienced but ‘intermittent’ locum ophthalmologists.
‘We have therefore taken the difficult decision to focus our resources on patients with eye-care conditions where prompt treatment is essential to avoid sight loss,’ said Dr Evans.
‘This includes patients with retinal conditions, such as age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma, and emergency patients.’
A cataract is an eye condition that occurs when the lens becomes cloudy and affects vision. Most cataracts develop when ageing or injury changes the proteins that makes up the eye’s lens.
In the UK the condition affects about 3,800 per 100,000 people every year, about 2,300 people in Guernsey, with surgery the only effective treatment.
Mr Evans apologised for having to concentrate on emergency patients and understood that it was a worrying time for patients.
‘But we can reassure patients with cataracts that a delay in surgery does not put their sight at risk permanently,’ he said. ‘Cataracts do not cause permanent loss of vision and a delay of several months does not mean a higher risk of complications or that the result will not be as good as it would have been.’
He added that the ophthalmology team was working hard to resolve the issue for a broader range of patients.
Last month the MSG made three ophthalmologist appointments to support Nick Watson, its only consultant currently in post.
One will join full-time in February and two will job-share from August 2025. Locums will support the service in the mean time.
‘We’re also working with optometrists, who are well-equipped and trained to care for a wide range of eye complaints, and with GPs to develop shared care protocols for eye conditions that will improve eye-care for patients in the long run,’ said Mr Evans.
‘I’d like to thank patients for their understanding, and our ophthalmology colleagues for their dedication, in what has been a difficult situation for everyone concerned.’
A friend of one patient awaiting cataract surgery raised concerns with the Guernsey Press, saying that patients had been ‘confused’ by the messaging around waiting lists and ‘depressed’ as a result.
