Hospital ophthalmology continues recovery

Hospital ophthalmology continues recovery

The latest NHS referral to treatment (RTT) data in England shows that 586,097 patients were waiting for an ophthalmology appointment in March, with 68.2% seen within the 18-week RTT target.

The hospital eye service now sees more than 65% of patients within the 18-week RTT target.

Therefore, the number of people waiting beyond the target date is slowly improving. While ophthalmology remains the largest outpatient speciality in total activity, it no longer has the most incomplete pathways.

It also now accounts for 8% of all incomplete pathways, compared to 10% of pathways in May 2023.