AQW 50342/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the current waiting time for macular hole repair surgery.
Asked by Nuala McAllister MLA on 2 July 2026
- Answered
- Written
- After due date
- Tabled
- 2 July 2026
- Answer due by
- 21 July 2026
- Answered
- 28 July 202626 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Macular hole surgery is a complex vitreomacular surgical procedure performed by an eye surgeon with sub-specialist vitreo-macular (VR) training and expertise. It is carried out regionally for Northern Ireland within the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT).
The average waiting times for macular hole surgery in Northern Ireland are detailed in the table below, but determining the urgency of the procedure varies and is a matter for the specialist surgeon at triage and in consultation with the patient at an outpatient (OP) appointment.
| Waiting time | Number of patients waiting | |
| 3-4yrs | 3 | |
| 1-3yrs | 12 | |
| 26-52 weeks | 22 | |
| 12-26 weeks | 11 | |
| 8-12 weeks | 9 | |
| 4-8weeks | 5 | |
| >4 weeks | 4 | TOTAL NUMBERS 66 |
Whilst overall regional numbers are not high, I recognise that each case will have potentially significant impacts at an individual level.
With this in mind, recent investment in BHSCT Ophthalmology from my Elective Care Framework (ECF) time-critical funding stream recognises a sustained demand-capacity gap for wider VR services, which includes assessment and treatments for macular holes. This investment will yield an additional 4,500 OP appointments within the VR service and an additional 90 treatments per year.