Over 42,000 people are waiting for eye care appointments in the public health service, however proper utilisation of optometrists could significantly reduce this figure, Optometry Ireland has insisted.

According to figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), by the end of December 2022, over 33,200 people were on outpatient waiting lists. At least one-third of these had already been waiting more than one year.

By the end of January 2023, a further 9,463 people were waiting for inpatient eye procedures, with one in 10 of these waiting more than a year.

Optometry Ireland CEO, Sean McCrave, is calling on the HSE and the Department of Health to engage with optometrists in order to make greater use of the capacity and expertise that the profession can offer.

He noted that there are 300 optometry practices and 700 practitioners “who are highly trained, have state-of-the-art equipment and have available capacity to provide more public services”.

“It is 50% less expensive to provide routine examinations, monitoring and care in the community via local optometrists than in the hospital system. We are highlighting this solution to the HSE and they are failing to take the initiative, even though the reforms we propose are already successfully in health systems across Europe.

“Adults and children are waiting too long for public eye care in Ireland. These delays negatively affect long-term eye health, independence, education and quality of life,”Mr McCrave said.

He believes that the first issue that needs to be addressed is children’s eye care, particularly those aged between eight and 16 years. Currently, there is no national eye scheme for this age group.

“The HSE acknowledged this gap years ago and said it was committed to addressing it. However, the response has been very slow, minimal and piecemeal.

“In some areas, over-8s can receive free eye examinations via their local optometrist. However, there is nothing at all in the majority of regions and ad hoc arrangements in other areas. In no part of the country is there a formal agreement on a defined public eye examination scheme for these children. There is a geographical inequality and this must end,” Mr McCrave noted.

Also commenting on this issue, Optometry Ireland president, Tania Constable, pointed out that optometrists are available immediately to provide a planned scheme for children over the age of eight in all regions nationwide, with no additional staffing, equipment or training required.

She pointed to the Sligo Cataract Scheme in the north west, which involves greater partnership between Sligo General Hospital and optometrists.

“This provides an example of what can be done. It has resulted in greatly reduced waiting times for cataract treatment in that region. Resourcing the needs of both over-8 children and cataract services for adults nationally via a public agreement with optometrists, would free up resources in hospitals and HSE clinics, which would address lengthy waiting times. Doing so would enable earlier diagnosis, earlier treatment and better outcomes for patients,” she explained.

She suggested that optometrists should also be sanctioned to apply greater use of medication for chronic eye conditions “in line with their level of training”.

“This would alleviate some of the resource challenges faced by GPs,” she added.