Labour to use High St opticians to cut NHS wait lists, patients 'face years for appointments' READ MORE: Terminally ill cancer patient forced to sleep on the floor in A&E By Kate Pickles Health Editor For The Daily Mail Published: 22:30 BST, 1 July 2024 | Updated: 22:30 BST, 1 July 2024 e-mail View comments Labour will send patients to Specsavers and other high street opticians to cut NHS waiting lists. It wants private providers to carry out routine checks and scans to free up NHS specialists for more complex procedures. There are currently 613,000 patients on NHS waiting lists for eye care, 15,000 of whom have been waiting more than a year.
The party claims some patients have been left waiting up to five years for treatment while research from the Association of Optometrists last year found 551 patients have suffered sight lose due to delayed appointments. Wes Streeting said: ‘Thousands of patients have been waiting more than a year for eye care, putting their sight at risk. There are currently 613,000 patients on NHS waiting lists for eye care, 15,000 of whom have been waiting more than a year ‘High street opticians have the kit and staff to do basic checks and scans.
Labour will partner with them to get patients the treatment they need. ‘This is just one way Labour will reform the NHS and use spare capacity in the private sector to beat the Tory backlog and cut NHS waiting lists.’ Freedom of Information requests showed a patient at Whittington Health NHS Trust in .
