Australia to avoid eyecare waiting list crisis

Thousands of patients requiring vital ophthalmic consultations were left stranded late last year, when the Kiwi patient waiting list was at its worst point. In October, one of the country’s 20 District Health Board’s had a backlog of more than 7000 patients, and it was also revealed that 30 people were losing their sight while being forced to wait.However, RANZCO president Associate Professor Mark Daniell said the likelihood of such a scenario playing out in Australia was slim: “An ageing population together with an increase in the prevalence of diabetes means that age-related disease and diabetic complications to the eye are increasing dramatically. It is true that this increase in dand has an impact on delivery of services, particularly in the public hospital syst.”{{image2-a:r-w:200}}“That said, Australia has a different health syst model than New Zealand and so manages this increase in dand differently – in particular, through a private syst supported by Medicare that has the capacity to take up the additional burden. For this reason, Australia is less likely to face the same crisis that has occurred in New Zealand.”“RANZCO communicates regularly with federal and state governments in Australia to raise any eye health policy issues that need to be addressed and to share best practice and innovative approaches. We are also working with the National Medical Training Advisory Network on workforce issues to determine the optimal sustainable solution to the anticipated increase in dand from the ageing population.” Daniell added.Activities to clear the backlog have yielded some positive results, but chair of RANZCO’s New Zealand Branch, Dr Brian Kent-Smith, said a long-term approach was needed to avoid similar crises occurring in the future.“While the historic backlogs are beginning to be cleared, there is a risk of the probl recurring as new patients are being added to waiting lists all the time. A one-off funding injection will help in the short term, but in the longer term a more strategic approach, which takes into account ongoing capacity, needs to be taken,” Kent-Smith said.Daniell said a similar approach was needed for Australia.“RANZCO believes that Australia needs a national strategic approach to eyecare to ensure that all patients, regardless of their geographical, cultural or economic situation, have access to the care they need when they need it. We continue to communicate and work with federal and state governments to advocate for policies that will help achieve this,” he explained.In mid-May there were still more than 3,400 patients overdue for follow-up eye appointments in New Zealand’s Southland and Otago regions.