Armidale Eye and Ear Surgical Support (EESS) program

The Ear and Eye Surgical Support Services (EESS) program funded additional cataract surgical lists during the last financial year in Armidale, enabling many Aboriginal patients from the town and surrounding areas to have surgical procedures completed in a timely way. 

Patients with limited access to specialised services often travel for up to four hours for surgery, as waiting lists for elective ophthalmology surgeries are extensive, resulting in long wait periods. 

The EESS funded lists have meant that Aboriginal patients have been able to access care in a more timely manner, resulting in significant improvements in their health and lifestyle outcomes. 

Last financial year, Armidale Hospital completed three additional EESS surgical days, receiving positive feedback from some of the patients.  One notable story is that of an 81-year-old woman from a small rural town called Uralla, who shared that, prior to having both of her cataracts completed, her daily life was dreadful. 

She could not see very well from her left eye and her vision was extremely blurred. While she was still able to drive, this was affecting her ability to complete day-to-day tasks, and she often felt unsafe driving on her own. 

Being widowed and living alone, this made daily life stressful and often hard to manage. 

After her original consultation with Dr Morgan in November 2023, she was placed on a 365-day waiting list. 

Fortunately, her first cataract was completed in under 200 days and her second cataract was completed in August 2024, meaning both surgeries were completed in under 12 months from her original consultation. 

Her vision has greatly improved, she no longer requires glasses for her day-to-day life, only for reading. 

She said, “I was very surprised with how quick the whole process was. I was very happy with the entire process, all of the staff were great and the timely access has made a large improvement to my everyday life. 

I am so, so thankful for this program”.

About EESS

Ear and Eye Surgical Support Services (EESS) aims to reduce the instances of avoidable blindness and deafness in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations through expediting access to eye and/or ear surgery.  Patients who reside in MM3 – MM7 locations are eligible for EESS services. The program is one of the Australian Government's Outreach programs administered in NSW and the ACT by RDN.

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