Icelandic ophthalmology patients face year-long waits for appointments

Ophthalmology patients in Iceland are experiencing significant delays, with waiting times for appointments ranging from six months to a year. For new patients, the wait can be exceptionally long, with one individual recently offered an appointment in late August 2027.

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it can take up to a year to get an appointment, and one patient was recently offered an appointment at the end of August 2027.

Several factors contribute to this bottleneck. According to Steinunn Þórðardóttir, chair of the Icelandic Medical Association, a general shortage of doctors across all specialties exists, partly due to rapid population growth and an aging demographic. The increasing number of elderly individuals naturally leads to higher demand for medical services, including ophthalmology.

Interviews with several eye clinics in Reykjavik revealed that minimum wait times are typically six to seven months, and often extend to a year or more. Some clinics have stopped accepting new patients altogether, prioritizing their existing clientele. However, they noted that urgent cases are accommodated with earlier appointments.

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overall, there is a shortage of doctors in all fields, which can be attributed to a significant increase in the population in a relatively short time and also to the increasing age.

Dýrleif Pétursdóttir, chair of the Icelandic Ophthalmological Society, acknowledged the long waits, particularly for specialized procedures. She highlighted that there is only one specialized glaucoma surgeon in the country, leading to extensive waiting lists for that specific treatment. Pétursdóttir agreed with Þórðardóttir about the overall doctor shortage, stating that physicians are overworked to meet demand.

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the minimum wait seems to be 6-7 months, and in many places it can take a year or even more than a year to get an appointment.

While Pétursdóttir mentioned that more ophthalmologists have joined the field since she completed her specialization five years ago than have retired due to age, the demand still outstrips supply. She pointed out that emergency eye care is provided at the Landspítali National University Hospital, and patients referred from general practitioners or health clinics for specialized care receive earlier appointments. However, she also noted that the lengthy waits for procedures like cataract surgery are not due to a lack of surgeons but rather insufficient funding from the Icelandic Health Insurance.

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there is certainly a long waiting time, especially in specialized fields where the demand for services is much greater than the supply of doctors.