Clinic invests in Hampshire people’s eyecare

Sight-saving specialist Newmedica has officially opened a multimillion-pound clinic for the people of Hampshire.

Staff at the state-of-the-art eyecare centre in Whiteley will assist with waiting times for NHS and private patients needing treatment for life-limiting eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and ocular plastics.

Among those attending the official opening ceremony were Whiteley Town Councillor Mike Evans, Winchester City Cllr Vivian Achwal and Newmedica managing director Rebecca Lythe.

Newmedica Hampshire initially opened its doors in September, and in the past two months it has already treated 250 people.

It then hosted a grand opening on 2 November, with guests able to see the hospital-grade facilities for themselves.

The clinic is run by consultant ophthalmologists Serafeim Antonakis, Bhaskar Gupta, Varajini Joganathan and Aby Jacobs, along with operational director Chris Berry.

Chris said: ‘We’re delighted to be operating at full capacity now for the wider Hampshire public. Our staff all have strong links locally and we’re keen to support the community the best we can.

‘We’ve been welcomed really warmly already, and I want to thank everyone we’ve been in contact with for their kindness.’

Mr Gupta added: ‘In addition to the patients we see, we’re enjoying working with all the local optometrists and other partners, ensuring that our joined-up working across the system provide patients with the treatment they need in a timely way.

‘This high standard of care and rapid access to treatment means that Hampshire patients can get back to leading their normal, healthy lives quickly and comfortably.’

With the pandemic causing a backlog of surgery for eye operations and other procedures, Newmedica is focused on working in partnership with the NHS to help drive down waiting times so that more patients receive eyecare as quickly as possible.

In the future, Newmedica Hampshire will offer its expertise and facilities to help train new NHS surgeons, ensuring the continuation of high-quality care. It also intends to expand the team, creating more local employment opportunities in the coming year.

Newmedica Hampshire is based at St Andrew’s House, 4400 Parkway, Solent Business Park.