Review of NZ hospital waiting times needed: RANZCO

The Health Quality and Safety Commisson New Zealand’s annual Learning from adverse events report showed that over 2015–16, 44 adverse events relating to ophthalmology were reported. These included delays in people getting follow-up appointments to see ophthalmologists, and in some cases eye conditions deteriorated.{{quote-A:R-W:450-I:2-Q: In ophthalmology, many of the conditions we treat are chronic, often with few obvious warning signs, and patients are at risk of losing their vision without regular and timely specialist check-ups. -WHO:Dr Shenton Chew, Auckland-based ophthalmologist and RANZCO fellow}}RANZCO pointed out that while the New Zealand Ministry of Health’s targets aimed to reduce the waiting times for diagnosis and treatment by medical specialists, patients who had been diagnosed with eye disease and who were in need of regular check-ups were having their appointments cancelled or delayed to make way for new patients to meet targets.Dr Shenton Chew, an Auckland-based ophthalmologist and RANZCO fellow, said, “Limited resources mean that meeting waiting time targets for initial specialist appointments is often at the expense of follow-up appointments. This leads to increased health risks for patients with chronic eye conditions. “In many medical specialities, it makes sense to prioritise initial appointments as patients can be treated with less need for ongoing specialist care. In ophthalmology, many of the conditions we treat are chronic, often with few obvious warning signs, and patients are at risk of losing their vision without regular and timely specialist check-ups.”To address the probl, RANZCO proposed a three-part solution: an assessment and adjustment of waiting time targets so that prioritisation was based on medical need; investment in training for nurses and optometrists to work alongside ophthalmologists; and, ultimately, appropriate funding of ophthalmology services to ensure supply was sufficient to meet dand.