Jersey's Government funds travel and stays in Southampton for cataract patients on wait list

The Government is paying NHS prices for ten patients a week to be seen in the UK, as well as flights and accommodation. Credit: ITV Channel

Jersey's Government are tackling long waiting lists for cataract operations by sending patients to the UK for treatment.

Officials are paying NHS prices for ten patients a week to be seen in Southampton, as well as their flights and accommodation costs.

People with the condition have been waiting more than a year for routine procedures, due to the backlog from Covid-19.

Emily Hoban, Head of Access at the Government of Jersey, says: "We do see quite a lot of patients who need their cataracts to be operated on.

"The reason why we set the partnership up is because we needed to increase our capacity, we do not have the capacity on island to see and treat all of these patients in a timely way.

"We are seeing approximately 50 cataract patients on island and ten off island per week.

"The backlog and the waitlist has reduced."

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