OAPs forced off the road by lack of cataract ops

OLDER drivers are being forced off the road by NHS cost-cutting that has resulted in fewer cataract treatments, it was claimed yesterday.

Campaigners say pennypinching has led to a growing number of elderly motorists having to surrender their driving licences because cataracts have made their eyesight too poor to drive, but not bad enough to qualify for surgery.

Charities last night warned that thousands of pensioners, particularly those living in rural areas, were losing their independence along with their licences because they rely on their cars to shop and socialise.

The operation, which takes 30 to 60 minutes and costs between £700 and £1,400 on the NHS, involves the replacement of a defective natural lens in the eye with an artificial one.

Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said: ‘Many older people rely on their car to get to essential services and to remain connected with their local community. This risks distress and isolation.’

Nick Freeman, a lawyer specialising in motoring matters, warned that unless such drivers could afford the £3,000 to £4,000 cost of private cataract surgery, they faced little choice but to surrender their licence.