Funding boost for cataract surgery

The Government has announced a $17 million funding boost to provide 7500 more cataract operations over the next three years.

Health Minister Annette King said the funding would be phased in over the next three years to allow hospitals to build the staffing and other capacity to perform the extra operations.

Cataracts are growths that form on the eyes and can lead to blindness.

The cataracts initiative is similar to an orthopaedics scheme launched last May, designed to double the number of major knee and hip operations within four years

The specialty has been struggling for years with high demand for assessments and operations. Last November, 3119 people nationwide were waiting for assessment and 2057 had been assessed as needing treatment, but were awaiting an operation.

Ms King said $2.67 million would be provided for the initiative in 2005-2006, rising to $5.78 million in 2006-2007, and $8.71 million in 2007-2008.

She said about 8000 cataract operations were currently performed a year. That would hopefully rise to 9050 in 2005-2006, 10,500 the year after that and 12,000.

"You cannot just perform this number of extra operations straight away," Ms King said in a statement.

The Health Ministry was setting up a working group involving ophthalmologists (eye specialists), optometrists and health board staff to try and identify ways to streamline the assessment and operation process.

One idea previously floated is allowing optometrists to do more pre-operation screening and assessment work, freeing up ophthalmologists to concentrate on surgery.

Another innovative practise the Government is keen to encourage is greater use of the mobile surgical bus, which travels around New Zealand.

Ms King said district health boards (DHBs) would be funded on a population basis. They would be expected to first use their own facilities, those of neighbouring DHBs if more capacity was needed, and then private facilities if necessary.

Health boards would also be encouraged to use the mobile surgical bus "to improve access for those living in rural areas, for the elderly and those people who find transport difficult to arrange".

Prime Minister Helen Clark, who joined Ms King in announcing the budget boost, said the initiative would provide more equal access to cataract surgery.

"That is what we are achieving with the orthopaedics project as well and both initiatives illustrate the sort of fair and inclusive society the Government is committed to continue building," she said in the statement.

- NZPA