Hospital waits hit eye patients

Targets have been set for new patients to be seen within 26 weeks

Patients with chronic eye complaints are going blind because of new patient waiting time targets, doctors have claimed.

The Welsh Assembly Government wants all new patients in Wales to be seen within 26 weeks of referral by December.

But medics say it means those already in the system get appointments moved in order for new patients to be seen.

The assembly government said its targets were developed in close consultation with health professionals.

Patients who have chronic eye conditions such as glaucoma need to be seen regularly at hospital to stop their condition worsening.

We have some very clear anecdotal evidence of patients who have already suffered irreversible sight loss as a result of delayed appointments

Consultant Nick Hawksworth

But doctors have told the BBC's Eye on Wales programme that there is anecdotal evidence that some patients in Wales are going blind because targets mean their appointments are being postponed or moved to accommodate new patients.

Consultant Nick Hawksworth, who is also the council member for Wales for the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, said: "There's a big drive on at the moment for hospital trusts to meet targets, in particular for new patients."

"Unfortunately it has had something of an adverse effect in that many follow-up patients are disadvantaged and appointments have been moved in order to make place for new patients.

"Within Wales we have some very clear anecdotal evidence of patients who have already suffered irreversible sight loss as a result of delayed appointments.

"What is in effect clinical judgement is being over-ridden by the political imperative to meet targets for the new patients coming in."

Target times

The assembly government's targets were set as part of an initiative called Access 2009 and figures show hospitals are making good progress at hitting those targets.

But some doctors believe the pressure to deliver on waiting time targets is causing problems for many patients.

Jonathan Osborne, an ear, nose and throat surgeon and vice-chairman of the Welsh Council of the British Medical Association said: "All specialities have particular conditions that do require fairly close monitoring and follow up and those patients are undoubtedly suffering.

"There are conditions such as glaucoma - where patients go blind on a silent basis - and pre-malignant conditions where we're observing people who may develop malignancy where this could be extremely serious."

Re-think rules

He urged Welsh health minister Edwina Hart to re-think.

"There's a whole army of people employed by the NHS - not in frontline clinical care - merely monitoring the targets," he said.

"That is activity that does not benefit patients in any way."

A spokesperson for the Welsh Assembly Government said "patients should be treated in order of clinical priority".

"Our targets have been developed in close consultation with health professionals to ensure that patients receive the appropriate care and treatment within reasonable waiting times.

"Clinicians will continue to have absolute flexibility in determining their priorities within the targets so patients are treated when needed."