The Community Optometrist Cataract Pathway will begin rolling out in New Zealand soon, transferring routine and uncomplicated one month postoperative cataract follow-up appointments from hospital ophthalmology clinics to community optometrists.
Health New Zealand (HNZ) said the initiative, which will roll out in phases, aims to improve patient access closer to their home, enhance service efficiency, and release hospital capacity for higher acuity care and long waiting follow-up patients.
HNZ Executive Leadership Teams approved the proposal in October last year and applications through the NZ Government Electronic Tenders Service closed on 1 July.
The rollout is expected to start in the next couple of months, before wider implementation later in the financial year.
HNZ said while some districts currently contract cataract follow-ups to optometry practices in an ad hoc way, the introduction of the cataract post operation follow-up pathway will eliminate this variation and ensure national consistency.
… the initiative, which will roll out in phases, aims to improve patient access closer to their home, enhance service efficiency, and release hospital capacity…
The follow-up process will start with the hospital contacting a participating community practice when a patient has had cataract surgery in the vicinity of the optometry practice.1
The provider will then contact the patient to organise an appointment. The optometrist will send the follow-up clinical details back to the hospital, which will also trigger payment to the practice. Under the scheme, there will be a set national price per follow-up visit.
Reference
- Health New Zealand, Eye Health National Clinical Network: Community Optometrists Cataract Follow-up Pathway. June 2026 Update. Available at: odob.health.nz/document/8562/Community%20Optometrist%20Cataract%20Follow-up%20Pathway,%20Comms%20June%20Update%20to%20ODOB%20NZAO.pdf [accessed June 2026].
