A total of 9,000 people will have left the public sector by the time this newsletter is printed, due to the introduction of changes to pensions, which were introduced at the end of February.

In excess of 3,500 personnel left the Health Service Executive (HSE) between last September and the end of February.

Cataract operations

This reduction in numbers is set to have a direct impact on patients and health Minister Dr. James Reilly has admitted that elective surgeries, including cataract operations, could face even greater delays due to the surge of retirements.

Public patients already face a wait of up to two years for a cataract operation to restore their vision, a fact highlighted by leading consultant ophthalmologist Professor Colm O’Brien at the launch of NCBI’s ‘Cost of Sight Loss’ report last September.

Minister Reilly launched NCBI’s ‘Cost of Sight Loss’ report, a study which looks at the economic impact of vision impairment and blindness in Ireland, last September. The report contains a number of recommendations to help ease the cost of sight loss to the State, including increased hospital funding to reduce cataract surgery waiting lists and the temporary blindness caused by the condition. It is disappointing to see that cataract surgeries are the first to face cuts.

The Government has known about these planned retirements for some time, but it seems that no long-term plan is in place to deal with the shortfall. The full extent of the impact on front line services remains to be seen.