The national Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) has published Improving the Delivery of Cataract Surgery in Scotland: A Guide for Implementing Immediate Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery (ISBCS), endorsed by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. The guide provides practical, evidence-based support to enable consistent delivery of high-quality ISBCS services across Scotland.
University of Aberdeen researchers Luis Loria-Rebolledo and Rodolfo Hernandez, from the Health Economics Research Unit (HERU), serve as members of the ISBCS Task and Finish Group and contributed to the development of this guide. Building on this work, they have also been awarded a research grant from the CfSD to inform the delivery of ISBCS in Scotland through preference and valuation methods, an area in which the University of Aberdeen holds international recognition.
Cataract surgery is the most common surgical procedure in Scotland, and wider adoption of ISBCS, which treats both eyes in a single visit rather than two separate appointments, has the potential to reduce waiting lists, lower carbon emissions, and improve the patient experience. This body of work could help transform how cataract services are delivered in Scotland and beyond.