Question reference: S5W-36068
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 11 March 2021
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Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 24 March 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the risk posed to patients' (a) physical and (b) mental health when a patient does not receive cataract surgery within 18 weeks of referral.
Answer
While the Scottish Government has not carried out any specific assessment on the potential risk posed to patients’ physical and mental health when they do not receive cataract surgery within 18 weeks of referral, we do fully appreciate the difficulty and anxiety delays can cause.
Work is underway to reduce waiting times and delays with patients being risk stratified on a continual basis ensuring that those patients with sight-threatening conditions are given priority. Where possible, patients are being managed remotely through Attend Anywhere/Near Me software, and telephone calls. These virtual clinics are also being used to safely manage patients who require assessments through automated examinations with the results reviewed by medical teams. Any patient who is concerned about their condition also has the option to contact their optometrist.