MP opens NHS CATARACT CLINIC in Leicester

MP opens NHS CATARACT CLINIC in Leicester

Giving local people choice and convenience for this sight-saving treatment

A brand-new ophthalmic clinic has opened in Leicester dedicated purely to providing NHS cataract surgery for patients across Leicestershire and the East Midlands.

Newly elected MP for Mid Leicestershire, Peter Bedford, visited the Meridian Business Park clinic to meet the local team, tour the brand-new facility and cut the ribbon to officially open the clinic.

He said: “I am honoured to have opened this new clinic, supporting the NHS locally and helping to ease the pressure on cataract waiting lists.

“The investment that Optegra has made in Leicestershire will help local people access this sight-saving surgery more quickly, and at great convenience.

“From touring the clinic today, I can see that patients who are referred here will be experiencing the highest quality facilities with excellent patient care and impressive outcomes.”

Optegra Eye Clinic Leicester will provide timely, convenient care for thousands of people. With one in three adults being diagnosed with cataract there is a lot of demand for treatment.  While people suffer cloudy vision, glare from lights and sometimes experienced blur and even double vision, the only treatment is a procedure where the clouded lens of the eye is replaced with a synthetic vision, restoring clear, sharp vision.

The new clinic is part of Optegra Eye Health Care, a network of specialist eye hospitals and clinics across the UK and Europe that provide cataract and vision correction procedures.

Richard Armitage, NHS Director for Optegra Eye Health Care, said: “Over the past couple of years we have been expanding our NHS cataract treatments by opening a series of new clinics around the country.  Our leading surgeons are supported with eye care specialists to provide excellent outcomes.

“Leicester now joins Nottingham as one of our key locations in the East Midlands.  We are delighted to be supporting existing ophthalmic services in the area and working with the NHS to substantially reduce waiting times throughout the region.

“At this new clinic we are able to commit to treatment within just four-six weeks of referral, giving patients more choice in their treatment journey and allowing access to short wait times.

“Cataract patients simply need to ask their optician or GP to refer them to Optegra Eye Clinic Leicester and we look forward to welcoming them.”

The clinic will feature latest surgical equipment and patients will benefit from five-star surroundings for their consultation and treatment. The clinic is also providing new jobs for local people, both administrative and clinical.

Clinic Manager Jess Stokes, who is also managing Optegra’s Nottingham clinic, said: “It is great to make an impact on multiple people at the same time in a clinic setting and I am excited to be part of the new team, as we develop together and grow this fantastic new facility.

“I’m looking forward to bringing great patient care, delivering Optegra’s values to the local community and demonstrating to local optometrists how we can support them and their patients.”

Surgeon Magdalena Edington has worked with Optegra since 2023 and is now joining the Leicester clinic to lead on all NHS cataract surgeries. She said: “I was first drawn to ophthalmology because restoring someone’s sight is one of the most rewarding experiences. I find the skill and precision required to perform surgery on an organ as small as the eye fascinating.

“I also love the fact that every case is different and challenging in its own way; there is something new to learn every day. When patients say that their surgery has been ‘life-changing’, it really is such a humbling yet gratifying experience.”