FOLLOWING hard on the heels of the announcement that York's swimming pools were saved, we are delighted to report another campaign success.

York District Hospital has secured £500,000 which will go towards an integrated eye unit. This could cut the waiting times for cataract operations from the current maximum of 17 months to six months.

The investment is a real result for our Fight For Sight campaign, which began last year when we highlighted the long delays for people needing cataract surgery.

By modern medical standards, this is a relatively straightforward procedure. Yet it can make an extraordinary difference to the people concerned.

The operation restores a patient's independence and allows them to see their family again. In other words, it revives their ability to live the full and active life they led before their vision deteriorated.

Older people are more likely to develop the condition. As our campaign highlighted, some feared the lengthy waiting list might rob them of the chance to ever see properly again.

Eye specialists were left to make impossible decisions. They had to choose between the younger patient whose job might be affected by their worsening sight and the older patient who had never seen their new grandchild.

The proposed eye unit would allow doctors to treat more people more quickly. It will be a life-enhancing facility.

Today's announcement is a posthumous tribute to Jean Heaven, who died earlier this month. Mrs Heaven, who lived in Haxby, inspired the Fight for Sight campaign. Her courage in coming forward encouraged others to do the same, revealing the scale of the anguish and the urgent need for action.

The new money has been secured by the determination and hard work of many staff at the hospital and the health trust. They have created an impressive momentum for change. We are confident this can be sustained to the benefit of patients across York and beyond.