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Written question asked by Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 10 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 14 July 2026. It was answered by Karin Smyth (Labour) on Thursday, 16 July 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Cataracts: Surgery

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to tackle the backlog of cataract operations, including for those who need the operation to undertake driving exams.

Answer

As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029. We met our interim target of 65% of pathways involving waits of less than 18 week in March 2026 and, as of May 2026, 65.6% are waiting less than 18 weeks. For patients waiting for ophthalmology services, 74.1% of pathways are waiting less than 18 weeks as of May 2026, an improvement on 66.1% at the start of July 2024.

We are 18 months into our Elective Reform Plan and through setting ambitious targets, investing in modernisation, reforming and simplifying pathways, increasing surgical and diagnostic capacity, and empowering patients with faster and more convenient access to care, we are seeing results. The waiting list currently stands at 7.28 million patient pathways as of May 2026, down by over 340,000 since the start of July 2024. Patients on the waiting list are prioritised at a local level based on clinical need, in line with the NHS’s core principle.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
17823
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Driving tests Surgery Cataracts
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk