Southampton’s two Labour MPs say the city’s residents are “missing out on essential treatment”, and increasing numbers of patients are “denied GP referrals for procedures previously accessible on the NHS”.

MPs Alan Whitehead and John Denham are calling on the government to intervene to stop what they describe as “cost-based rationing”. They cite cataract operations as an example.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) also claims there’s wide variation in both waiting times and assessment criteria for cataract operations across England, which it says puts people at risk.

In July the RNIB rated Southampton Clinical Commissioning Group’s access to cataract surgery as “red” because it said it was such a “restricted policy”. The RNIB also claimed Southampton had one of the longest waiting times from initial outpatient appointment to having the cataract operation, at 215 days (the shortest was 44 days).

Figures "surprising"

But Dr Steve Townsend, Chair of Southampton Clinical Commissioning Group, said that the RNIB figures describing Southampton waiting times as long were “surprising”, and that current waiting times for cataract procedures from the CCG's two main providers are six weeks and ten weeks.

“These waiting times are significantly better from those in the RNIB report, which shows an average waiting time of 215 days for Southampton and 129 days for the NHS as a whole,” he said.

He added that the CCG had not introduced any new restrictions on the treatment of cataracts and has “kept with the policy adopted by the former Primary Care Trust”. He also said there needed to be a national debate on how the limited resources of the NHS are best used.

Private option offered

In October 2012, the government gave NHS Foundation Trusts the freedom to generate up to 49% of their income from private patients, and for those wishing to press ahead with cataract surgery, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust advertises a private option for £1400, which it describes as being “between the traditional private sector and the NHS, bringing private healthcare within the reach of many more people”.

“Surgery will be offered much sooner than the usual NHS wait...” promises the Trust’s website.

Links
Ophthalmology services for private patients
NHS hospitals 'profiting from rationing', claims Labour - Pulse 3/10/2013
Many NHS trusts ‘rationing cataract surgery’ – BBC, 24/5/12
Cataracts, hips, knees and tonsils: NHS begins rationing operations – Independent 28/7/11
NHS admits widespread restrictions on cataract surgery - Daily Telegraph 15/1/13
NHS page calling for “open and honest debate” about future service
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)

Pic under CC2 by by sfloptometr