Eye health report reveals growing pressure on waiting lists in Leeds

The report found major disparities in access to eye health care across the country, with growing pressure on waiting lists with 86 percent of Newmedica’s clinics across England located within an area facing increasing ophthalmology waiting lists.

Commissioned as part of Newmedica’s Championing Eye Health: Patient Choice and Preventing Avoidable Sight Loss report, the research is the first detailed analysis of both ophthalmology waiting list pressure and disparities in access to treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts and glaucoma across England.

The research focussed on additional patient referrals relative to completed patient pathways. By this measure, 7,533 patients were added to NHS West Yorkshire waiting lists in 2025, with only 6,564 receiving treatment.

Overall, waiting list pressures rose for the majority of ICBs in 2025. Across all 42 ICBs in England, 80 per cent (34) recorded more referrals compared to patient pathway completions in 2025.

Newmedica Leeds is based at Chapeltown Road and offers both NHS-funded and private eye treatment for conditions including cataracts and glaucoma.

Consultant, Mr Aldrin Khan said: “The growing pressure we see on ophthalmology waiting lists is a clear warning that eye health in Leeds and across England is under threat.

“This isn’t a failure of clinical expertise – we work closely with the NHS every day and see first-hand the exceptional care provided to patients in Leeds. Rather, the increasing pressure on waiting lists is a consequence of a system under funding pressure and a lack of transparency which makes it impossible for health commissioners to prioritise need.

“The result is that many instances of avoidable sight loss continues to occur, often because care is delivered too late. Patients are being let down. This stark situation must be tackled through reform aligned to the 10 Year Health Plan which generates greater collaboration between independent and NHS providers and deliver genuine patient choice.

“By embracing this reform, we can create a new system which delivers high-quality consultant-led care at scale. In doing so there’s a real opportunity to increase capacity, increase treatment levels and significantly improve ophthalmology patient outcomes in Leeds and across the country.”

Newmedica Leeds is owned and led by Mr David Dunleavy, Mr Aldrin Khan, Mr Kamran Khan and Mr David Richards alongside operations director, Steve Kirk.

For more information you can download the Championing Eye Health: patient choice and preventing avoidable sight loss report here: http://www.newmedica.co.uk/championing-eye-health.