Is urgent eye care being delayed in Wales?
More than 78,000 patients in the highest clinical risk category for ophthalmology were waiting beyond recommended timeframes at the end of December 2025, according to figures cited by the Senedd’s Health and Social Care Committee.
The Committee concluded in November 2025 that ophthalmology services in Wales are under increasing pressure and that delays are putting patients at risk of avoidable sight loss.
The Welsh Government accepted two of the Committee’s 17 recommendations in full. In response to the remaining recommendations, it pointed to ongoing reforms and longer-term structural changes.
The Committee has since taken the step of requesting a supplementary paper. It is seeking clarification on the absence of immediate measures ahead of new governance arrangements, interim plans relating to estates and equipment, and direct responses to workforce recommendations.
By December 2025, around half of all high-risk ophthalmology pathways were waiting beyond recommended timeframes. The Committee said this left patients with time-sensitive conditions such as glaucoma and macular degeneration at increased risk of irreversible sight loss.
Monthly “Eye Care Measures for NHS outpatients” show the numbers of new and follow-up ophthalmology patients waiting within their target date or within 25% beyond it. Patients who exceed their target date are categorised as being at risk of irreversible harm or significant adverse outcomes.
Ophthalmology is among the busiest outpatient specialties in NHS Wales. In 2024–25 there were around 108,000 open patient pathways, more than double pre-pandemic levels. In August 2025, 29,392 ophthalmology pathways had been waiting over one year for treatment.
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists has projected a 16% rise in glaucoma prevalence and a 23% rise in severe macular degeneration over the next decade.
An estimated 110,000 people in Wales are living with sight loss.
The Welsh Government has endorsed a National Clinical Strategy for Ophthalmology, focused on organisational reform, clinical networks and pathway redesign. It convened a ministerial national summit in October 2024 and instructed health boards to prioritise patients at the highest clinical risk.
Funding for primary eye care increased by £3.9 million in 2024–25 to expand community-based services. Welsh Government figures indicate around 30,000 additional community appointments are expected by March 2026.
Cataract surgery has also been prioritised within the planned care recovery programme. A 2025–26 package aims to deliver 20,000 additional procedures. By March 2025, waits of more than 104 weeks for cataract surgery had been eliminated in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.
The Committee noted that while these measures were welcome, they had not yet resulted in clear reductions in hospital bottlenecks or harms associated with delays, particularly for high-risk patients.
Several structural decisions have been deferred until after the Senedd election in May. Governance changes are expected to conclude in April 2026.
The Senedd is scheduled to debate the Committee’s report and the Welsh Government’s response on Tuesday 25 February.
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