Since we first highlighted the plight of cataract sufferers in York, the full scale of the problem has emerged.

On Tuesday we reported how Haxby pensioner Jean Heaven's decision to pay for surgery on one eye had sent her to the bottom of the waiting list for surgery on the other.

Then Andrew Armstrong came forward to explain that he was stepping down as a City of York councillor partly because he is losing his sight to cataracts. His predicament illustrates how this condition ruins lives. Not only has he been forced to give up his public role, he can no longer see his grandchildren properly.

These stories are all the more heartrending because the operation to correct cataracts is straightforward. Coun Armstrong, Mrs Heaven and hundreds more like them can have their vision restored in a matter of hours. But they face a long wait because of inadequate facilities at York District Hospital.

As our investigation revealed yesterday, cataract waiting times vary significantly around the country. If Mrs Armstrong lived in the Borders area of Scotland, she would have had the operation within three months. Most Pontefract residents, meanwhile, wait a mere two months for surgery.

In York, the delay can be up to ten months. As Coun Armstrong put it, "when you're old, months matter. They could make all the difference between seeing your grandchildren and not."

There are 1,100 people on the waiting list. That is a deep well of suffering.

The chief executive of York District Hospital, Dr Peter Kennedy, responded to our reports today. He recognises the heartbreak behind the statistics and says the waiting times could be reduced if the hospital's proposal for a £7.9 million revamp was sanctioned by regional health chiefs.

At present, hospital staff are struggling to cope in hopelessly cramped conditions. Under the YDH plan, a whole floor would be stripped and refitted enabling many more daytime operations to take place.

The benefits of providing a modern, well-equipped environment at the hospital have been proved in a smaller way by the Cancer Care Haven, paid for by Evening Press readers. It is easy to imagine how a much larger modernisation could reap substantial rewards for both patients and staff.

York District Hospital is the major primary health care provider in this area. Its case for substantial further investment is compelling. For the sake of Jean Heaven, Andrew Armstrong and thousands like them, we urge the regional authorities to spend the money.

see NEWS 'Hospital chief pledges action'

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