Cataract Surgery

[BrynCartwright]

After Specsavers referred my 89 year old Dad to the NHS for his developing cataracts in March 2021 his sight has gotten progressively worse, particularly in his right eye....he eventually saw an NHS Consultant last November 7th who referred him onto the "urgent" list which was supposed to be about 6 months....

May came and went, with a check up in Singleton on June 5th, but with no idea of when he might have his op.....I called the the NHS phone number to be fobbed off with a general voicemail message saying they would be in touch as and when..

I sent an e mail explaining his sight was so impaired I was worried he would trip and fall over, smashing his hip and thus incurring much greater help from the NHS...Matthew got back to me saying the same as the voicemail...

So it got to such a point last month, and only down to massive frustration witnessing his quality of life getting worse and worse that I inevitably decided to shelve my innate objection to private medicine, in itself inculcated on me by my gloriously left wing miner/train driver/ fitter father, and check out prices for a private op....

Prices for an op with a basic mono lens replacement in Swansea vary from £1995 to about £3k....yesterday he had his right eye operated on by Freedom Vision in Llansamlet down by Dobbies......and today he can see the football and snooker scores again on the telly; his life has been practically returned to normal and transformed for £2k! It's still early days but we should have done it last year! His left eye will be done ASAP...

I cannot recommend Vision Express enough; they conduct a free assessment, and after surgery, 2 follow up check ups at 1 and 4 weeks..Apparently their parent company, Spa Medica is trying to get an NHS contract to conduct surgeries there, which needs to happen as soon as possible...

600 000 people in the UK are waiting for cataract surgery!

Bryn Cartwright
EMEA Sales Director
Vision Express

 

[MajorR]

Glad to hear your father’s procedure went well. My mum’s had 3 operations, the first in an NHS hospital which went well, the second in a private hospital but through the NHS which went wrong and left her blind in 1 eye. Fortunately, a brilliant surgeon in Glangwili saved her sight with a subsequent operation. I know at one point Cataract ops were a priority in the NHS for the very reasons you’ve identified with your dad, hopefully they’ll get back on track and you won’t have to pay for the next one.
Great to hear a good news story, hope your dad is relishing having his vision back.

 

[Squarebear]

I don't understand this at all.

I had one eye done on NHS in January and consultant immediately referred me for the same procedure in Eye 2.

"But it's fine" I said.

"By the time you get to the top of the waiting list you'll need it doing" said consultant.

Some months ago I was called in for an assessment where I was told (unsurprisingly) "It's not so bad. You won't be treated as a priority".

At this point I assumed I'd be waiting a year or two. But in fact I've just been called back for another pre-assessment next month. So why your dad hasn't been seems very odd. He sounds in a way worse state than me.

 

[rockinj]

I’m glad to hear everything went well Sir.

I can’t help but make a comment on the overall theme of the post and probably going to add to my unpopularity on here.

I simply don’t understand the issue with private healthcare, never have never will.

In real life I know people on the left of the spectrum who do seem to get queasy about using private healthcare yet overwhelmingly they don’t regret it afterwards.

The NHS in principal is a wonderful thing but it’s a dated institution that needs serious reform. What we put up with and consider good outcomes would not be entertained in most developed Countries.

We associate it as “free” yet it isn’t we nearly all pay our taxes towards it but it is free at the point of use which is what the vast majority of developed Countries have.

Personally I think it should be slimmed down and do less. I think there should be a specific NHS tax that we pay which would help to provide an element of social responsibility and greater transparency.

I personally couldn’t care whether something is public or private as long as it works and especially when it comes to my family. I think more and more people are coming to that conclusion.

 

[JackSomething]

I consider myself on the left and believe that the NHS is one of the things we should be most proud of in this country, despite the state it is in today. When I hear about the cost of medical care/insurance in some other countries (cough*USA*cough), it's terrible in comparison.

However, I also think that if you're in a comfortable financial situation and paying for private treatment will mean you get the help you need quicker while also easing the burden on the NHS, then it would be morally wrong not to do so.

I don't mean spending your life savings, I'm talking about if you're in a position where it's not going to have a huge financial effect on you. Forgoing that second foreign holiday for one year or similar.

Also, fantastic news about your Father Bryn. What a quality of life improvement that must be for him at his age, he must be delighted.

 

[rockinj]

I consider myself on the left and believe that the NHS is one of the things we should be most proud of in this country, despite the state it is in today. When I hear about the cost of medical care/insurance in some other countries (cough*USA*cough), it's terrible in comparison.

However, I also think that if you're in a comfortable financial situation and paying for private treatment will mean you get the help you need quicker while also easing the burden on the NHS, then it would be morally wrong not to do so.

I don't mean spending your life savings, I'm talking about if you're in a position where it's not going to have a huge financial effect on you. Forgoing that second foreign holiday for one year or similar.

Also, fantastic news about your Father Bryn. What a quality of life improvement that must be for him at his age, he must be delighted.

That’s a good post, my question to you is why is the US the only example ever cited in this debate? There are many different health systems in the World we are almost unique.

 

[Neath_Jack]

I consider myself on the left and believe that the NHS is one of the things we should be most proud of in this country, despite the state it is in today. When I hear about the cost of medical care/insurance in some other countries (cough*USA*cough), it's terrible in comparison.

However, I also think that if you're in a comfortable financial situation and paying for private treatment will mean you get the help you need quicker while also easing the burden on the NHS, then it would be morally wrong not to do so.

I don't mean spending your life savings, I'm talking about if you're in a position where it's not going to have a huge financial effect on you. Forgoing that second foreign holiday for one year or similar.

Also, fantastic news about your Father Bryn. What a quality of life improvement that must be for him at his age, he must be delighted.

Good post comrade.

I'd go further and enforce a mandatory private health care scheme for those earning over a certain figure, with employers paying into it as well. I've had it at a reduced rate through my employer for a number of years, very reasonable cost to me. I've only used it once for a shoulder issue, but the speed at which the process went was incredible. Initial appointment, MRI scan, treatment, all done within one month.

 

[JackSomething]

That’s a good post, my question to you is why is the US the only example ever cited in this debate? There are many different health systems in the World we are almost unique.

Because I've been there a lot and know Americans, so have heard a lot about it. My knowledge of health systems in the rest of the world is very limited, so I don't feel able to comment on them.

 

[Darran]

Amy had a cataract removed by the brilliant late eye surgeon at Singleton,Mr Laws.
He came to see her about two hours after the op and asked her “do you have any question's?”

She replied “can I go and watch the Swans tonight?” :lol:

 

[J_B]

Amy had a cataract removed by the brilliant late eye surgeon at Singleton,Mr Laws.
He came to see her about two hours after the op and asked her “do you have any question's?”

She replied “can I go and watch the Swans tonight?” :lol:

Dave Laws was a great man and his premature death was a tragedy.

 

[Darran]

Dave Laws was a great man and his premature death was a tragedy.

I wholeheartedly concur,he was truly wonderful.

 

[rockinj]

Because I've been there a lot and know Americans, so have heard a lot about it. My knowledge of health systems in the rest of the world is very limited, so I don't feel able to comment on them.

That’s fair from an individual viewpoint, I suppose I’m talking more about how this debate always turns into “would you rather the US system?” Which I find very frustrating.

I wouldn’t want the US system as it’s not universal and I don’t want the NHS in its current form because waiting lists and most outcomes are poor in comparison to many developed Countries.

They tend to have more mixed systems which are universal. We seem wedded to something that is at best a decent health system nothing more.