The Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy – Janet Finch-Saunders MS –has urged the Welsh Government to confront delays in sight loss treatment across North Wales. Her comments came as a question to the Minister for Health and Social Care.
Her intervention came as RNIB Cymru have warned that thousands more people in Wales are at risk of "irreversible sight loss" because of treatment delays. Most concerning is the revelation that 10 months have now transpired without monthly data on ophthalmology outpatients being published.
Commenting on her Plenary contribution, Janet said:
“I find it most concerning that there has been a significant increase in the number of people waiting beyond their clinically safe treatment date for sight loss treatment, as well as a significant increase in the number of people waiting for cataract surgery.
“In fact, a recent FOI request by BBC Wales to all health boards found that more than 33,000 people at risk of sight loss were waiting too long for treatment, with the number of people waiting more than nine months for cataract surgery having quadrupled.
“This higher risk rate is plainly unacceptable in any modern society. I urge the Welsh Government to evaluate what urgent steps can be taken to address this waiting time, as kicking the can down the road is not an option that can remain on the table. The Minister must realise that people’s sight relies on a tangible action plan being implemented.
“I also echo the calls made by RNIB Cymru, who are greatly concerned that the pandemic has exacerbated already existing inequalities with regard to receiving accessible public health information.
“In fact, their recent research has found that one in four survey respondents had struggled to get information in an accessible format. So, I urge the Minister to ensure that accessibility to Welsh Government communications is improved as a matter of priority.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
- Please click here to read the RNIB call for better accessibility.
- Please click here to find out more about the BBC Wales FOI.
Photo: Canva Stock
