Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guideline his Department has issued to Hospitals and Care Commissioning Groups on operations for cataracts.

We are committed to the prevention and detection of eye disease, which are both key to preserving sight along with access to timely treatment.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines published in 2017 make clear the expectations on cataract surgery. The guidelines can be found at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng77

While commissioning decisions must remain a matter for individual clinical commissioning groups all National Health Service bodies are required to carefully consider NICE guidelines in making such decisions.