Thousands in west Wales waiting too long for eye care
Nearly half of those patients have already waited more than 36 weeks, raising fears of avoidable, permanent vision loss.
The latest figures come during Cataract Awareness Month and highlight what health professionals are calling a growing crisis in eye care across South Wales.
Of the total waiting, more than 8,000 patients in the Hywel Dda University Health Board area are breaching target treatment times.
Sam Evans, a consultant ophthalmologist in west Wales, said: "I'm frustrated.
"We're seeing avoidable sight loss because people simply cannot get seen in time.
"Cataracts are treatable, but patients don't need to wait as long as they are, and are coming to harm with these long waits."
Mr Evans runs a private 'see and treat' cataract service in west Wales, working with optometrists who provide clinical referrals.
His model offers telephone consultations and surgery within two to four weeks of referral, often requiring just a single hospital visit.
He has also performed same-day bilateral cataract surgery for five years and believes the approach is both safe and efficient.
Mr Evans said: "In many cases patients only need to come to the hospital once – for surgery on both eyes, and need no further visits.
"This approach is fantastic for older patients who struggle to get to the hospital for repeated visits."
The service has proven especially valuable in rural areas like Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, and Ceredigion, where travel to hospital can be a major barrier.
One patient, Ron Jenkins, waited more than two and a half years for NHS surgery before opting for Mr Evans' service.
He said: "After waiting over two years on the NHS list, I was hesitant to go private but my vision was getting worse and affecting my daily life.
"I wasn't sure about having a phone assessment at first, but it worked brilliantly.
"I was offered a one-stop visit for assessment and surgery, saving me a 55-mile round trip.
"The care was excellent, the surgery painless, and I'm now driving at night and reading fine measurements again, life back to normal."
Optometrist Rachel Brady said: "Embracing the convenience of telephone consultations and the innovative 'see and treat' approach in cataract surgery transforms the patient experience, eliminating the need for multiple, time-consuming exams and logistical hurdles."
Mr Evans believes June's Cataract Awareness Month should lead to real change.
He said: "Awareness campaigns matter — but awareness alone isn't enough.
"We need real action.
"The solutions exist, but need to be put into place at scale."
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