Ophthalmologist shortage causing life-threatening delays, coroner warns

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By Lily Canter

A shortage of ophthalmology consultants is leaving patients facing long waits for follow-up appointments that may increase their risk of delayed cancer diagnoses and death, a coroner has said.

The warning was issued following the inquest of Alexander McDonald, who died of metastatic choroidal melanoma after he was not given a scheduled follow-up appointment.

There are around 140,000 ophthalmology follow-up appointments awaiting review across Wales, with just 65 consultant ophthalmologists providing services, according to a Prevention of Future Deaths report.

Gwent area coroner Rose Farmer warned that current capacity appeared “insufficient to meet demand for follow-up surveillance”, with large numbers of patients not being reviewed within clinically intended timescales.

She said “substantial delays” in ophthalmology follow-up appointments could result in further deaths unless action was taken.

Farmer said McDonald’s experience “demonstrates the impact of not having timely follow up appointments”.

She added: "Similar delays may place other patients at risk of delayed diagnosis of malignancy and death."