On the Cataract Waiting List? What to Do While You Wait

Being told you need cataract surgery, and then joining a waiting list, can feel unsettling. In the UK, cataract surgery is the most commonly performed planned operation, with hundreds of thousands carried out each year, yet demand is high and waits vary a great deal from place to place.³ It is natural to wonder whether your sight will worsen, whether waiting is safe, and what you can do in the meantime. The reassuring answer is that, for most people, waiting is safe, and there is a good deal you can do to see more comfortably and stay safe while your turn comes around. This article explains how.

First, some reassurance

A cataract is a gradual clouding of the eye's natural lens, and in the great majority of people it develops slowly, over months and years rather than days.¹ Cataract surgery is rarely an emergency, and importantly, the operation works just as well whether it is done sooner or later, so a wait does not reduce your chances of an excellent result. Cataracts remain treatable however long you have had them.¹ Current UK guidance is clear that surgery is offered when a cataract is affecting your quality of life, rather than only once it reaches a particular level on a chart, which means that being listed reflects the impact on your daily living.¹ There are a few situations where it is right to act more quickly, and these are covered below, but for most people the wait itself carries little risk to the eye.

Making the most of your current vision

Small, practical changes can make everyday life noticeably easier while you wait. It is worth having your glasses prescription checked, as an update can sometimes sharpen things for a time, even though it will not clear the cataract itself.³ Good lighting makes a real difference, so brighter, well-placed lamps for reading and close work help considerably, as do magnifiers and large-print options. Many people find audiobooks, podcasts and the audio-description setting on the television keep their favourite pastimes enjoyable. Cataracts often make eyes more sensitive to glare, so reducing bright, dazzling light helps: using blinds, sitting with your back to windows, and wearing good sunglasses outdoors can all make vision more comfortable.³

Staying safe, at home and on the road

Reduced vision can raise the risk of trips and falls, particularly in older adults, so a little attention to the home is worthwhile. Removing loose rugs and clutter, making sure stairs and hallways are well lit, and using handrails all help prevent falls, and there is good evidence that treating cataracts reduces falls, which is one reason safety matters while you wait.⁵ Driving deserves special care. By law you must be able to read a car number plate at twenty metres, and if your vision falls below this standard you must not drive and should inform the DVLA.⁴ Because cataracts worsen glare and haloes around lights, night driving often becomes uncomfortable first, so it is sensible to limit it and to be honest with yourself about whether you still meet the standard.

Looking after your eyes and general health

The waiting period is also a good time to look after your eyes more broadly. Keep up your regular optometry checks, as your optometrist can monitor your vision and pick up anything else that needs attention, and continue to manage any other conditions such as diabetes or glaucoma, which affect the eyes too.³ A few general habits support eye health: protecting your eyes from strong sunlight, eating well, and, if you smoke, seeking help to stop, since smoking is a recognised and modifiable risk factor for cataract and for eye disease more widely.⁶ None of this will remove a cataract, but it keeps the rest of your eye and your health in the best possible shape for surgery and beyond.

Understanding the system, and your options

It helps to understand how waiting lists work. People whose sight is affecting them more, for example those with cataracts in both eyes, those at risk of falls, and those whose vision has dropped below the driving standard, are generally prioritised.² Waiting lists are not entirely fixed, so if your circumstances change while you wait, it is well worth telling your GP, optometrist or the hospital eye department, because you may qualify for an earlier, expedited appointment.⁷ In England, you also have the right to ask your GP about referral to another NHS hospital or an NHS-funded provider with a shorter wait, and some people choose to consider private treatment for timing reasons. There is no single right answer, and these options are best discussed openly with your GP so that you can make the choice that suits you, without any pressure.⁷

When to seek help sooner

While gradual blurring is expected with a cataract, some symptoms are not, and they deserve prompt attention rather than waiting. Seek urgent, same-day advice if you notice a sudden change in your vision, eye pain or redness, or new flashing lights, floaters, or a shadow or curtain moving across your sight, as these can signal a separate and more urgent problem, such as a retinal detachment, that is unrelated to the cataract's slow progress.³ Separately, if your vision drops below the level needed for driving, if you have a fall, or if your sight begins to affect your daily life more seriously, contact your clinic or GP, as these are exactly the changes that can prompt an earlier review.⁴

Preparing for the day itself

Finally, the wait is a useful time to prepare, which can ease any nerves. It helps to understand what the operation involves: cataract surgery is usually a short procedure carried out under local anaesthetic, with most people going home the same day and vision improving over the following days and weeks.³ It is worth noting down any questions for your surgeon, and arranging practical support, as you will not be able to drive on the day and it is helpful to have someone accompany you. Going in feeling informed and organised tends to make the whole experience calmer and more reassuring.

A calm word to end on

Waiting for cataract surgery can be frustrating, but it need not be a time of worry. For most people the wait is safe, the eventual result is just as good, and in the meantime sensible steps to see comfortably, stay safe and look after your health make a genuine difference. Keep an eye on any changes, stay in touch with your eye team if things shift, and know that a clear, well-established solution is on its way.

References

1. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Cataracts in adults: management. NICE guideline NG77. London: NICE; 2017. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng77
2. Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Cataract surgery commissioning guidance. London: RCOphth; 2018. Available at: https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/resources-listing/cataract-surgery-commissioning-guidance/
3. National Health Service. Cataract surgery. London: NHS; 2023. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cataract-surgery/
4. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Cataracts and driving. Swansea: DVLA; 2024. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/cataracts-and-driving
5. Harwood RH, Foss AJE, Osborn F, Gregson RM, Zaman A, Masud T. Falls and health status in elderly women following first eye cataract surgery: a randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2005;89(1):53–59.
6. Ye J, He J, Wang C, Feng X, Zhang Q, Yin L, et al. Smoking and risk of age-related cataract: a meta-analysis. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2012;53(7):3885–3895.
7. NHS England. Your right to choose and the My Planned Care service. London: NHS England; 2024. Available at: https://www.myplannedcare.nhs.uk/