Hip and cataract surgery wait data and costs

Request 839969447

HI

I wish to do a freedom of information request as to:

• The number of patients awaiting hip surgery and average waiting time.
• The number of patients awaiting cataract surgery, the average waiting time, and eye sight criteria for a referal to be made- viz can patient still legally drive.
• The average cost per hip of hip surgery
• The average cost per eye of cataract surgery
  

Many thanks

Response

Data for public patients awaiting elective cataract surgery (lens extraction and / or lens replacement procedures), and those awaiting elective hip surgery (hip joint replacement or reconstruction procedures) as at 09 June 2026 are detailed in Table 1. Patients have been identified based on the intended procedure they have been waitlisted for, and a breakdown of the number of people waiting according to their assessed clinical priority is provided.

Table 1: Number of patients awaiting cataract and hip surgery, June 2026

​Data source: Hospital Patient Administration System

Clinical priority is determined through triage, the process by which referrals are sorted and prioritised by urgency. Surgical waiting lists are triaged, prioritised and scheduled according to clinical need and chronological order, as determined by the relevant consultant or surgical team. Patients who are assessed as requiring ‘Urgent’ surgery are prioritised, ensuring that those with red flag symptoms or time-critical conditions are seen by the appropriate specialist team ahead of those assessed as ‘Routine'. Patients of the same clinical priority are added to the waiting list in chronological order.

Information on referrals and triage, including the prioritisation of appointments, is available on www.gov.je at Hospital waiting lists​.

The median* (average) time public patients waited for elective cataract surgery and elective hip surgery (as defined above) from the date they were listed for treatment to the date they completed their procedure are detailed in Table 2. A breakdown of waiting times according to assessed clinical priority is included.

This analysis reports the waiting times experienced by public patients who underwent surgery in the 12 month period to 09 June 2026; this measure reflects the established wait experienced by patients who have completed treatment and may differ from that of patients who remain awaiting treatment.

Table 2: Median waiting tim​es for cataract and hip surgery, 10 June 2025 to 09 June 2026

Data source: Hospital Patient Administration System

* Median Waiting Time: The median wait is calculated by arranging each patient's waiting time in order, and then selecting the waiting time of the person at the mid-point of that order.  It indicates that half of the patients waited less than the shown number of weeks and half of the patients waited longer.

Health and Care Jersey’s Criteria Based Clinical Treatments Policy (May 2024) includes information on eligibility for public elective cataract surgery; this is referred to in the Ophthalmology department’s pathways, though medical consultants take an individual holistic approach when assessing whether a patient may be suitable for listing. An excerpt of the relevant section from the Policy is shown below:

Based on the range of procedures which are considered to constitute elective hip surgery and elective cataract surgery, and using the primary procedure code which would be attributed from the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys Classification of Interventions and Procedures (OPCS), the following costs have been calculated from the Patient Level Information and Costing System {PLICS} modelling for 2024 with adjustment for inflation:

• estimated average cost of elective public hip replacement or reconstruction procedure in 2026 (with an average 3-day length of stay as an inpatient): £10,712 
• estimated average cost of elective public cataract surgery in 2026 (performed as a day case): £1,886.

Health and Care Jersey aim to provide timely and co-ordinated care for all patients, and cases are managed according to both clinical need and pathway capacity. 

As noted, assessed clinical priority is a key influence on the waiting time that each person listed for surgery will experience. Other factors, such as service demand within the surgical specialty, availability of beds for inpatient care, and staff availability (or absence) can all impact upon capacity and lead to longer waiting times for those already listed, as well as those awaiting surgical assessment.

If patients feel that their symptoms are deteriorating while they wait, it is recommended that they contact their GP for reassessment. Should their clinical condition warrant it, the GP can request that the appointment or procedure be expedited to ensure timely review and intervention.