My friends and family from around the globe often ask me about the state of the UK. They hear about Brexit, strike action, rapid changes in political leadership and the rising cost of living, and react with natural concern: what exactly is going on there? But my brother who works as an ophthalmologist in the US recently had a question about a lesser-known crisis. “Why are so many people going blind in Britain when treatment is available?”
An article currently circulating among his professional colleagues details the hundreds of people who lost their sight due to treatment delays within the NHS. The backlog for ophthalmology appointments in England is the second-largest in the NHS, with UK eye doctors concerned about the number of patients losing sight unnecessarily. Their shock is palpable.
