Ross disappointed by more delays for ophthalmology patients
Moray MP Douglas Ross said he remains very concerned about the time patients in Moray are waiting for ophthalmology procedures.
Commenting after receiving his latest response on this subject from NHS Grampian, Douglas said: “I have had constituents contact me about the fact that they have faced lengthy delays to see an eye consultant following referral and then been told they face an even longer wait for their procedure.
“I have written to NHS Grampian several times about this issue and have also raised it with the Cabinet Secretary for Health.
“Despite the fact that some appointments are now being offered at Dr Gray’s in Elgin for eye appointments I know that constituents still face lengthy delays to see specialists.
“For instance, I have received a reply for a constituent from NHS Grampian which states that the waiting time for having a cataract procedure currently stands at 33 weeks.
“That is bad enough, but that is on top of a wait of a similar length of time to see the consultant in the first place. This means that people are waiting well over a year to have a cataract removed and have to wait the same length of time should they be unfortunate enough to need both eyes operated on.
“In fact, in one case, a constituent told me they had to wait 17 months from start to finish for their procedure and now face waiting the same amount of time for a second operation, it is simply unacceptable.
“This is just horrendous for patients. In many cases this doesn’t just impact on their wellbeing, but it can affect their job, prevent them from driving and they feel more and more isolated waiting for this treatment.
“NHS Grampian have now accepted there is a backlog and are trying to introduce extra capacity at weekends in Aberdeen to tackle the waiting list, but still delays persist. This issue really needs to be addressed and quickly.”