Day case cataract surgery in the UK and USA: a comparative study.

This study is a comparison of healthcare provision for day case cataract surgery in the UK and the USA. It commences with a brief history and the political influences on the development of healthcare in the USA and the UK, identifying recent changes. The high cost of the health system in the USA and the small amount of resources consumed by the NHS in the UK are examined. The service offered to patients requiring cataract surgery in the UK and the USA are compared and the increasing demand for this operation and the challenge of differing styles of nursing that day surgery requires are discussed. The study concludes by pointing out the consistent expansion of day surgery in both countries in recent years, and predicts that, in view of the patient satisfaction and economic benefit, the growth of day surgery in the future appears almost unlimited.