1200 Cork kids waiting for eye appointments

More than 1,200 Cork children are waiting for an ophthalmology appointment, as the HSE says a new initiative to reduce waiting lists will begin in January.

The HSE told Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould, in response to a parliamentary question, that there were 1,209 paediatric patients on ophthalmology waiting lists in Cork as of the end of October.

Of these, 927 were waiting less than a year, but 282 were waiting more than a year, though no further breakdown of time was provided.

Mari O’Donovan, the interim head of Cork Kerry Community Healthcare’s Primary Care Service, told Mr Gould: “The HSE acknowledges that some children are currently waiting over a year for access to paediatric ophthalmology services, primarily due to patients been triaged as lower priority.

“While these children await their appointments, many have undergone screening by a nurse to assess and re-prioritise those who may require higher priority care.

“Significant progress has been made in reducing wait times by focusing on urgent cases, and we are now progressing another wait list initiative to address these extended wait times for young children targeting this cohort.

“This initiative is expected to be completed by January 2025, after which all referrals will be managed within an optimal timeframe.

Mr Gould called for a timeline for the clearing of ophthalmology backlogs, saying that prolonged delays with the new eye care centre in Cork: “led to a huge backlog in eyecare appointments.”

“I am particularly concerned that ophthalmology for paediatric patients has such long waiting lists,” he said. “We need to see this number come right down,” said Mr Gould.

“Children with ophthalmology issues may struggle in school and lose out on vital learning because of this. They shouldn’t be waiting months, never mind years for these appointments.”