Dan Neville
Ceist:254 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the waiting time in each health board area for sight testing. [22353/98]
Written Answers. - Ophthalmic Services.
The provision of sight testing is the statutory responsibility of the health boards. The boards have informed me that, while measures are in place to ensure that urgent cases are dealt with immediately, the waiting times for sight testing in their areas are:
|
Health Board |
Adults |
Children |
|
Eastern |
None |
None (0-12 months for hospital referral) |
|
Midland |
1-2 months |
6-36 months |
|
Mid-Western |
6-12 months |
3-9 months |
|
North-Eastern |
1-12 months |
1-24 months |
|
North-Western |
11 months |
11 months |
|
South-Eastern |
6.5 months |
4 months |
|
Southern |
4-6 months |
6-9 months |
In 1998, I allocated the sum of £1 million between the eight health boards to address the issue of waiting lists for community ophthalmic services. This initiative has seen a reduction of over 72 per cent in the numbers on waiting lists and a reduction in mean waiting time over the course of the year.
There is significant variation in waiting time between the eight health boards and different schemes for the provision of sight-testing operate in each health board. In early 1998, a working group of representatives of the health boards and the Association of Optometrists Ireland was established to discuss the provision of an adult sight-testing scheme to replace the existingad-hoc schemes and which would be similar in its application in each health board. I am informed that these discussions are now close to conclusion and I look forward to studying its recommendations.