Plaid Cymru - standing up for Dwyfor-Meirionnydd

Plaid Cymru Senedd Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd and party spokesperson on Health, Mabon ap Gwynfor has warned that patients awaiting ophthalmology treatment in Dwyfor Meirionnydd are at very serious risk of irreversible sight loss.

Welsh government figures reveal 61.9% of ophthalmology patients under the care of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board were waiting beyond the target time for treatment, that’s 24,508 patients.

Plaid Cymru Senedd Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd and party spokesperson on Health, Mabon ap Gwynfor has warned that patients awaiting ophthalmology treatment in Dwyfor Meirionnydd are at very serious risk of irreversible sight loss.

Welsh government figures reveal 61.9% of ophthalmology patients under the care of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board were waiting beyond the target time for treatment, that’s 24,508 patients.

As of May 2023, 52.5% of patients across Wales and deemed ‘Health Risk Factor R1’ were waiting beyond the target date for an outpatient appointment, amounting to over 75,000 patients. 39,592 of these patients were in the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board.

Commenting, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS said:

‘Ophthalmology has been unable to recover from the Covid pandemic, and the consequences could be devastating for too many patients in my Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency.’

‘It’s shocking that 2 in 3 patients under the care of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board are at risk of irreversible sight loss because the Welsh Labour government cannot get to grips with scandalously lengthy waiting times.’

‘I have heard directly from patients suffering from chronic and serious eye conditions having to wait years for follow-up appointments, relying on high street opticians to provide the check-up care they should be receiving in hospital.’

‘To show they are serious about eye care in Wales, we must see a plan from the Welsh Government on how they intend to expediate the most urgent cases on these waiting lists.’

‘In addition, Welsh Government need to put urgent steps in place to ensure targets are driving the right behaviour, that targets are effectively monitored, that health boards have the resources to be able to deliver to target, and that remedial action is taken as soon as possible to look after patients let down by the system.’

‘In the meantime, ophthalmic patients across Dwyfor Meirionnydd and north Wales are suffering, with too many being put at unnecessary risk. The current situation is failing more than half of the highest risk eye care patients in Wales. This cannot go on.’