RCOphth NOD National Cataract Audit Year 7 Key Findings
Source: data.gov.uk (2025-12-18)

RCOphth NOD National Cataract Audit Year 7 data. The data is for the sixth prospective year of the National Cataract Audit corresponding to the 2022 NHS year (01/04/2022 to 31/03/2023). The data was collected as part of routine clinical care on electronic medical record systems in 177 participating centres. The three metrics used in the national cataract audit are case ascertainment and adjusted rates for posterior capsular rupture and visual acuity loss. The denominator for case ascertainment was the number of cataract operations reported to NHS digital or Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) performed using phacoemulsification. Operative data is more consistent than postoperative data as not all centres use the electronic medical record systems in all areas of their hospital eye service. Postoperative results do not include operations performed in the last 2 months of the audit year or for centres with <50 eligible operations in the postoperative time period. Visual acuity estimates are only produced for centres with at least 50 eligible operations with the relevant visual acuity measurement. Comprehensive information regarding the eligibility criteria used in the National Cataract Audit can be found on the audit website (www.nodaudit.org.uk). Results are provided for contributing NHS Trusts, Welsh Health Boards, Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTC), one private sector provider centre and one centre from Guernsey. The results for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust include patients from Airedale Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as cataract surgery for Airedale patients is performed in Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust sites. Results for Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust include data for patients treated in Bedford Hospital from the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and data for patients treated in the Croydon Health Services NHS Trust.

Key Findings Summary 2022-2023
National Cataract Audit
Key findings
Distribution of  
participating centres
172
1
4
0
100
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Number of centres
Number of operations 
in thousands
200
300
500
400
Participating centres and their continued growth
Participation in NOD Cataract Audit 
1
2024/NOD/474  Published in May 2024

Since 2010  
Risk of vision loss after  
surgery has reduced by 
58%
~1:500
Risk of losing  
≥0.6 LogMAR
 
31%
Unadjusted PCR and VA Loss rates for each NHS year
PCR – fell to a new low 
for all surgeons of 0.79%. 
Approximately 58% lower 
than in 2010 equating to 
approximately 7,000 fewer 
patients experiencing 
posterior capsular rupture 
(PCR) events annually, 
saving >£3.5 million  
for the NHS.
PCR is the main complication  
of interest as it gives a:
•	 20 x risk of a retinal 
	
detachment in the year  
	
following surgery
•	 17 x risk of acute intra-
operative supra-choroidal 
haemorrhage
•	 16 x risk of losing ≥0.6 
LogMAR from pre-  
to postoperatively
•	 7 x risk of post-operative  
endophthalmitis
•	 6 x risk of losing ≥0.3 LogMAR 
from pre- to postoperatively 
PCR
For the 251,961 eyes with 
both a preoperative and 
postoperative visual  
acuity (VA):
Risk of Vision Loss (loss of 
≥0.3 LogMAR) fell to a new 
low of 0.48% (approximately 
31% lower than 2010)
Risk of Severe Vision Loss 
(loss of ≥0.6 LogMAR) 0.21%
Median 
preoperative  
VA
Median 
postoperative 
VA 
Median 
change
Postoperative 
VA  
≥0.3 LogMAR
0.40 LogMAR 
(6/15 Snellen)
0.10 LogMAR 
(6/7.5 Snellen)
0.30 LogMAR
91.8% of eyes
Vision Gained and Lost 
Since 2010  
PCR has reduced  
by approximately 
2
2024/NOD/474  Published in May 2024

Download a Departmental 
NOD Audit presentation 
template to present at your 
next audit meeting.
Data Quality 
Increased discharge to community optometry follow-up and 
patient initiated follow up (PIFU) have continued to make 
postoperative data collection a challenge. Ophthalmic 
Electronic Medical Record providers offer solutions with 
portals for data submission from community optometrists – 
which will also bring in a lot more refractive outcome data.
PCR reporting
Preoperative 
VA
Postoperative 
VA
Pre- and 
postop VA
100% of eyes
85.5% of eyes
69.0% of eyes
64.4% of eyes
Action Points
 
1.	Centres to ensure robust mechanisms for postoperative  
	
data collection. 
	
This will allow us to be more confident  
	
in the seemingly excellent outcomes we are seeing.  
	
If constructing better processes to capture postoperative  
	
data on complications and visual acuity can be combined  
	
with collecting refractive outcome data, and also with  
	
Patient Reported Outcome Measures (e.g. CatPROM5)  
	
the NOD could start to report the quality-of-life gains  
	
from cataract surgery. 
2.	Use your data to drive quality improvement processes  
	
locally. 
	
Surgeons can create a login to the NOD Audit  
	
website to view their personal audit data over years of  
	
participation in the NOD cataract audit. This facilitates  
	
reflection for annual appraisal. Centres should use the  
	
NOD PowerPoint presentation, available to download  
	
from nodaudit.org.uk, to present your centre-specific  
	
results to departmental audit meetings, to encourage  
	
continuous quality improvement processes for cataract  
	
services and data collection. 
3.	Use NOD outcomes in the consent process. 
	
Clinicians could incorporate a discussion of NOD key 
outcome measures as part of the informed consent process.
Funding 
 
The National Cataract 
Audit is funded through 
participation fees from 
centres as well as 
unrestricted contributions 
from Alcon Eye Care  
UK Limited and Bausch  
+ Lomb. 
Your Hospital 
NOD Cataract Audit
3
2024/NOD/474  Published in May 2024
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