The Royal College of Ophthalmologists and GIRFT have updated their advice on restarting and redesigning cataract services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The advice sets out the need for high flow cataract surgery to resume now, in order to address the backlog and provide patients with a timely service and avoid compromising patients’ quality of life.

Restoration of cataract services will require a detailed review/redesign of the whole cataract pathway to ensure a safe environment for patients and staff. This also gives the opportunity to make changes that will have long-term benefits.

This document provides general guidance on the restarting of cataract services. Individual eye departments should tailor this guidance, taking into account their staffing, infrastructure, the needs of their local population as well as the expectations of local commissioners and regional NHS organisations.