The ministry announced the funding in a press release yesterday. While ophthalmology delays are most pressing at Southern District Health Board, there are delays in other boards, and the ministry has been under pressure to provide leadership in the sector.
"In the short term, the ministry’s support will include making available a contribution of up to $2million nationally during 2016-17 to assist DHBs to develop, implement or improve care models to best support their district’s eye health," service commissioning director Jill Lane said.
DHBs did not have a consistent approach to managing ophthalmology challenges.
"Given this variability, it’s important for the ministry to work closely during 2017 with any DHBs which may have a backlog of ophthalmology patients and discuss what plans they’re implementing to address these."
DHBs would submit bids to the ministry for a portion of the funding.
Last month the Otago Daily Times reported that the optometrists’ professional body was calling on ophthalmologists to let them take more responsibility, in order to reduce the strain. New Zealand public health eye services are centred on specialist ophthalmologists working in hospitals.
