Tackling the NHS glaucoma clinic backlog issue.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Public Health

Background:

• Glaucoma clinics face significant appointment backlogs.
• Insufficient clinic capacity impacts patient follow-up timelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of mass case review by glaucoma sub-specialists in reducing appointment backlogs.
• To assess the impact of consultant-led case review on follow-up management and resource utilization.

Main Methods:

• A 3-year retrospective study involving 9290 patient cases.
• Glaucoma fellowship-trained consultants reviewed patient notes to determine appropriate follow-up timing, clinic type, and necessity of tests.
• Decisions included continuing care within the hospital eye service (HES), delaying appointments, or discharging patients to community optometrists.

Main Results:

• Consultant review led to 26% of patients being discharged from the HES.
• 59.5% of patients remained within the HES, and 14.5% had appointments delayed.
• The necessity for visual field testing was reduced by 35%, saving 1911 tests.

Conclusions:

• Utilizing trained glaucoma sub-specialists for mass case review is a viable strategy for managing clinic appointment backlogs.
• This approach optimizes patient management and conserves resources by identifying unnecessary follow-up appointments and tests.
• Ophthalmology departments should consider this model to address significant backlog issues.