Optegra eyes up new approach with launch of Cataract Diagnostic Clinics

Optegra eyes up new approach with launch of Cataract Diagnostic Clinics

Specialist eye hospital group Optegra is building on the success of its dedicated NHS cataract clinics by extending its strategy to also now launch a series of NHS Cataract Diagnostic Clinics.

Having launched eight successful NHS cataract hospitals in the past 18 months – from York and Preston to Colchester, Brighton and Maidstone – and four more in the pipeline for 2024, Optegra has been able to support thousands of cataract patients with timely treatment and excellent outcomes.

In order to further provide convenient, accessible treatment, and to reach even more patients who are awaiting treatment, the specialist hospital group is now also launching seven Cataract Diagnostic Clinics, to enable patients to have their diagnostic consultation and confirmation of whether they are suitable for treatment much closer to home.

The optometrist-led service will run in NHS facilities or privately-owned GP practices, with suitable patients then being booked in for treatment at their closest main Optegra hospital.

The procedure will take place within the main hospital, while the follow-up consultations will either be at the community optometrist or via Optegra AI.

The first set of Optegra Diagnostic Clinics will launch in July in areas surrounding Optegra’s Manchester and Hampshire hospitals. More are planned for other locations later this year.

In Manchester they will be found in Bolton, Oldham, Trafford and Stockport – see locations here.

In Hampshire they will open in Havant, Bognor Regis and Eastleigh – see locations here.

These locations have been carefully selected in order to provide convenience to as many patients as possible; and have been agreed with the local ICBs who see this as a positive step to help treat more patients.

Robert Pilling, Optegra Business Development Director, said: “These optometrist-led clinics will provide a convenient and accessible service in the regions surrounding our Manchester and Hampshire hospitals.

“As well as increasing our service to our patients, we are pleased to be able to add further variety in work for our Optegra optometrists, to be able to run these clinics outside the main hospital environment.

“When a patient is referred to us for cataract treatment, it is excellent that we now have more locations to offer for them to begin their treatment journey at their convenience and closer to home.

“There is still a great deal of demand for NHS cataract surgery as we have seen by the success of our new NHS cataract clinics.  This means we continue to have an opportunity to help patients avoid unnecessary waits for this essential, life-enhancing surgery.”

Optegra Eye Health Care is a specialist provider of ophthalmic services. Established in 2007, with its first hospital opening in 2008, it has completed over one million eye procedures from its 39 eye hospitals and over 60 locations across the UK, Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia.

Optegra brings together leading-edge research, medical expertise and state-of-the-art surgical equipment.  It performs more than 140,000 treatments annually, both private and publicly funded. Its top ophthalmic surgeons are renowned for their areas of expertise, offering excellent clinical outcomes and great patient service.