Should cataract ops be rationed by the NHS?
HAVING been fortunate to have two cataracts operated on this year, anyone who says this procedure has a limited clinical value (Mail) is talking rubbish.
JOHN SMITH, Bexleyheath, Kent. I hAVe been denied cataract treatment on the NhS. When I began having difficulties with my vision despite wearing bi-focal glasses, my optician insisted it was the correct prescription and it was perfectly safe for me to drive. But at night I found I was blinded by oncoming headlights and when the sun was low in the sky I was dazzled by the glare. I struggled to see the white lines on roads. I went to another high Street optician, who said I had early signs of cataracts, but didn’t qualify for surgery. It was recommended that I buy vari-focals. I wasted a lot of money on three pairs of glasses that were useless. In desperation, I went privately to see a consultant ophthalmologist, who diagnosed advanced cataracts in both eyes. I was shocked to be told I was a danger on the road and must not drive. I had one cataract removed the following week and couldn’t believe the difference. I realised I could easily have
killed others or myself. I spent £2,600 to go private, even though I have paid National Insurance all my working life. I have been told I do not pass the required criteria to have the second operation on the NHS, though I have limited sight in that eye. I have no option other than to save up to have the second cataract treated privately. I fear lives are being put at risk because people are wrongly told it is safe for them to drive. MAUREEN COONEY,
Nottingham.
NHS TRUSTS could afford to carry out cataract operations if they collected the cost of treatment incurred by
non-EU citizens. The obscene salaries paid to NHS bosses must also have a bearing on the funds available.
MICHAEL J. LOCKE,
Gillingham, Kent. WE CAN’T afford to carry out cataract operations on pensioners who have paid National Insurance all their working lives, but we can treat two Russians in intensive care for weeks after they were apparently poisoned by their own government. Has a bill for their treatment been issued? If it has, I doubt if anyone will chase the payment.
D. BEEKEN, address supplied.
AS WELL as cutbacks on cataract operations, some NHS trusts will not operate on hernias until they become serious and then it’s a case of being rushed to the overworked A&E as an emergency. The outcomes for routine hernia ops are far better than emergency treatment, which can lead to complications, incurring more expense for the NHS. Cataract and hernia operations should be dealt with sooner rather than later. Why don’t we fund these procedures from the bloated overseas aid budget?
GERALD AUSTIN, Bournemouth, Dorset.