New research commissioned by eye health specialist Newmedica has uncovered that NHS North Central London faced the fourth most pressured waiting lists for eye health treatment in England in 2025.
The research, which investigated ophthalmology waiting list pressures across England’s 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) by comparing additional patient referrals to completed patient pathways, found that there were more than 45,852 referrals to NHS North Central London last year.
However, only 35,340 treatments were completed across the year, suggesting more than 10,500 people were added to its waiting list.
Overall, the number of completed treatments was more than 20 per cent less than the number of new referrals. This was the fourth highest rate recorded for any ICB in England in 2025.
For England as a whole, the difference between yearly total referrals and yearly completed ophthalmology pathways was estimated to be 187,952, with completed treatments 8.6 per cent less than the number of new referrals. Across London, waiting lists grew by an estimated 37,006, with completed treatments 12.1 per cent less than the number of new referrals.
The findings form part of wider research Newmedica commissioned to understand disparities in access to clinical eye care as part of its Championing Eye Health: patient choice and preventing avoidable sight loss report.
Speaking about the research, broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, who has been campaigning to end avoidable blindness for more than 20 years said: “This new research is shocking and lays bare the growing pressure on ophthalmology services across the country.
“Most sight loss is avoidable if it is treated early enough. However, growing pressure on waiting lists means that, in many cases, people will have to wait far too long to receive treatment. This creates a significant and totally unnecessary risk that many people could needlessly go blind while they await treatment.
“I’ve campaigned to end avoidable sight loss internationally for many years but to see this situation unfolding in the UK is incredibly concerning. There’s no doubt that we have the expertise to address this situation. However, we need to act urgently to increase capacity across ophthalmology services so people can be treated more quickly. If we fail to act, the consequences could be catastrophic for a great number of people who risk losing their sight.”
As a result of the findings, Newmedica is calling for mandatory reporting of ophthalmology waiting lists and follow up waiting lists by condition. This can increase transparency and enable commissioners to target resources effectively to support efficient pathways which reduce clinical risk and give patients informed choice.
Speaking about the growing pressures on waiting lists for eye health treatment, Nigel Kirkpatrick, medical director at Newmedica said: “The growing pressure we see on ophthalmology is a clear warning that eye health across England is under threat, with the situation one of the most concerning in North Central London.
“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 up and down the country. 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 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, drive down waiting lists in North Central London and significantly improve ophthalmology patient outcomes.”
The research also investigated potential treatment gaps across England for AMD (age-related macular degeneration), cataracts and glaucoma – using the latest publicly-available data* to compare the estimated age-adjusted prevalence of these conditions in ICB areas with recorded treatment interventions**.
The aim was to gain a deeper understanding of the nation’s blind spots – areas where large numbers of people may be suffering from these eye conditions but are currently invisible to the system.
In an index ranking of the 42 ICB’s*** across England in 2025 where first was the relatively best performing and 42nd the relatively worst, NHS North Central London came 30th for its estimated cataracts treatment gap with an estimated shortfall of 736 people. It ranked 22nd for AMD with an estimated shortfall of 696 injections and 31st for glaucoma, with an estimated shortfall of 17,821 prescriptions.
Nigel Kirkpatrick, medical director at Newmedica added: “While there is rightly a major focus on waiting list pressures across the country, our research suggests that we face an underlying problem too. Many people suffering from AMD, cataracts or glaucoma may be effectively invisible the system and therefore not receiving the treatment they need.
“This is a real concern as we know that earlier treatment interventions lead to better clinical outcomes for patients and it suggests we need to improve education and access in relation to eye health.
“As the details of the 10 Year Health Plan are developed further, empowering people to take ownership of their eyesight and come forward when they notice a change in their vision should form a core component of the strategy to shift from sickness to prevention and hospital to community care.”
