Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2016 to Question HL2227, how his Department monitors clinical commissioning groups on waiting times for cataracts surgery.

The Department uses the National Health Service performance data published on a monthly basis by NHS England in respect of waiting times for consultant-led referral to treatment waiting times to monitor compliance with waiting times targets for treatment. Referral to treatment data are collected by 18 specialties and are not condition or procedure specific. Cataract surgery is included in the ophthalmology specialty. This information is published at both provider and commissioner level and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/