How long is the public wait?
On the Government’s November 2024 reply to the Legislative Council, about 69,000 older people were waiting for cataract surgery in public hospitals, with waits in the Hospital Authority’s Kowloon West and New Territories West clusters running to 4.3 and 4.6 years.
Waits differ by cluster and those two were the longest at the time. A wait measured in years matters particularly for cataract, because vision continues to deteriorate while waiting, and failing vision itself affects mobility, the risk of falls and the ability to manage daily life.
What is the Cataract Surgeries Programme?
The Cataract Surgeries Programme is the Hospital Authority’s public-private partnership for cataract operations. Funded by the Government in 2007 and launched in February 2008, it exists to provide more cataract surgery through private capacity.
The financial arrangement is explicit: the patient pays no more than $8,000, and a flat subsidy of $8,000 is provided. Once the private doctor has performed the operation, the Hospital Authority pays that $8,000 directly to the doctor.
Joining is not by application: patients already on a Hospital Authority cataract waiting list, in the general category and suitable for surgery under local anaesthesia, are invited, with those waiting longest invited first. It is therefore a route within the waiting list rather than an alternative to it.
| Route | Cost | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Public hospital surgery | Standard public charges; since April 2021 patients pay nothing for the intraocular lens | By waiting list, with some clusters measured in years |
| Cataract Surgeries Programme | Patient pays no more than $8,000, with a flat $8,000 subsidy | The Authority invites suitable patients from the waiting list, longest-waiting first |
| Fully private surgery | At the clinic’s own charge, with no cap | Not tied to the waiting list; charges vary widely, so ask first |
