Patients in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area wait up to two years for routine cataract surgery. Urgent cases face one-year waits. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt provided these figures in response to a question from Newry and Armagh MLA Gareth Wilson.

In the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, routine cataract surgery waits reach three years. Urgent cases there also wait one year. The target maximum wait time for the procedure stands at 18 weeks.

The Department of Health has shifted most cataract operations to a network of three regional Day Procedure Centres established in 2018/19. South Tyrone Hospital serves as one centre. These centres handle low-complexity cases to boost productivity and reduce waits.

Regional urgent cataract waiting lists dropped from over 3,700 patients in March 2021 to near zero. Belfast Trust has 33 urgent patients waiting over one year on complex lists. Teams there assess if these cases can move to a Day Procedure Centre.

Southern Trust lists nine urgent patients waiting more than one year for cataract surgery. Minister Nesbitt stated this number should reach zero within the current financial year.