Patients needing cataract surgery should wait no more than three months for treatment due to a £73 million government drive to speed up the service. 

Health secretary John Reid announced on Wednesday that the aim of a maximum three-month wait for the operations had been achieved by the end of January 2005 - four years ahead of the NHS target.

Private sector treatment centres have provided more than 13,000 cataract operations to help the NHS clear the backlog.

Reid also said all cataract patients will now be able to choose who provides their operation, and this will be extended to a choice of four or five providers by December 2005.

He said: "This is a tremendous achievement for the NHS. Ophthalmologists and nurses are making a profound difference to thousands of patients' lives.

"When we began to tackle this issue, at least 50,000 elderly patients were waiting more than three months for cataract treatment. Now, no one is waiting that long.

"Independent sector treatment centres have also played an important part in driving down waiting times.

"Recent research has shown that independent sector treatment centres are performing operations at eight times the rate of the NHS due to the modern, purpose-built units concentrating on single procedures."

Reid also paid tribute to the co-operation and support from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, which had helped to make the initiative possible.

The new way of working allows ophthalmologists to make direct referral to hospital as part of the diagnosis, so the patient gets to choose the hospital and the date and time of their appointment.

By the age of 75, a quarter of all people will have developed a cataract. The condition causes impaired vision and if left untreated, can result in blindness.

Harry Cayton, National Director for Patients, said: "Speeding up cataract operations creates real choice for people.

"Patient choice is no gimmick, it changes people's lives, gives them control and improves the responsiveness of the NHS."