Action to cut waiting times of more than a year for eye clinic appointments in Moray have been welcomed.
Patients needing cataract operations currently need to wait a total of 546 days for the procedure.
However, NHS Grampian has sent patients outside the region for treatment while also enlisting the support of outside agency Medinet.
Since the beginning of May, a total of 1,000 patients have been referred to hospitals outside of the north-east for procedures and reviews.
Moray MP Douglas Ross has welcomed the action to improve NHS Grampian’s waiting times record but stressed it “should have happened earlier”.
He said: “I’ve now received assurances that action is being taken to reduce the waiting time, which currently stands at an unacceptable 546 days for cataract operations.
“Progress has also been made on the opening of the ophthalmology department at Dr Gray’s. While this should have happened earlier, this was delayed due to recruiting a new consultant.
“Having this local facility again will cut down on the number of patients from Moray having to make the gruelling 150-mile return journey to Aberdeen for treatment.”
Concerns about the declining level of eye care at Dr Gray’s due to difficulties attracting a consultant to Elgin have been raised since 2015.
Nurses at the hospital were put through specialist training earlier this year to ensure some services could return during the summer.
Now the NHS has confirmed Medinet, which is a company used by health authorities to boost capacity to cut waiting times, will also be enlisted to reduce the backlog while patients continue to be referred to other regions.
Interim divisional general manager Karen Thomson said: “When a patient has agreed to be referred outwith Grampian, our expectation is for them to be seen and have their procedure if necessary within an agreed timescale, which will be contracted with each individual hospital.
“We are also planning to use Medinet as another source for our ophthalmology patients in order to get them seen locally within a reasonable time.”
