AQW 21716/22-27
Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford
Tabled Date: 31/01/2025
Answered On Date: 19/03/2025
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for his assessment of the capacity within (i) orthoptics; and (ii) ocular motility consultants to meet the demand for (a) paediatric squint surgery; and (b) adult squint surgery.
Answer:
The Belfast Trust Ophthalmology currently has two adult motility surgeons with two theatre lists per week. The paediatric service currently has 4 motility surgeons that have access to five theatre lists per week during which they would undertake motility surgery alongside other paediatric surgical procedures. My Department recognises the historical and ongoing workforce challenges that have resulted in these unacceptably-long waiting times. In order to help address this orthoptics are currently operating a pilot initiative in which they are providing support to the adult and paediatric theatre lists alongside running additional clinics see patients currently on the waiting list and prepare them for surgery. The model is currently being audited with a Business Case for mainstreaming currently being progressed, subject to available funding. The pilot has allowed for approximately 14 lists to proceed from October 2024 to date with approximately 20 patients operated on and a further 20 removed by orthoptic assessment (without ophthalmology visits) as surgery no longer required. The paediatric waiting list was approx. Four years at the beginning of the pilot but this has since reduced to 18 months. The DoH of Health has also provided funding for an additional theatre session for paediatric squint surgery in South Eastern Trust. This additional session commenced in February 2025.
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