In Ireland, Children Wait Up to Five Years to See an Eye Doctor

Something’s not right here.

Children in Ireland in the public system, depending on where they live, can wait up to five years before they’re seen by an eye doctor, according to a recent statement from the Association of Optometrists Ireland (AOI) that’s cited by Irish Health. The association, the article says, is calling for the government to eliminate these delays, suggesting the installation of a community-based model of care. This would mean that eyecare is “delivered in the community through optometrists, rather than the current system of referring all cases to HSE clinics and specialist hospital services, which are already ‘overwhelmed by demand.’”

Read more at Irish Health