OPTEGRA extends NHS GLAUCOMA SERVICE

Eye health care specialist Optegra is further expanding its NHS service by launching new glaucoma clinics at some of its busiest hospitals, alongside its established cataract and AMD offering to NHS patients.

The new clinics will provide glaucoma patients access to speedy care – within just two weeks of a referral – and essential monitoring by eye health experts, which cannot be conducted at their local optometrist practice. The service also enables patients to be monitored and reviewed by expert surgeons and offered treatment as necessary.

The new, free service has launched in Optegra Eye Hospital Manchester and Optegra Eye Hospital Bradford and has been well received by patients and optometrists alike. Optegra Eye Clinic Nottingham and Optegra Eye Hospital North London are also now taking glaucoma referrals.

This clinic is designed for patients who need care from a glaucoma specialist, which cannot be provided by their local optician practice, and to date have had no option but to be put on a waiting list for the Trust hospital.

Specialist interventions available at Optegra include adjustments to medication (drop regime to manage eye pressure), laser surgery or a stent procedure to drain fluid to relieve pressure, patients will then continue to be monitored at Optegra.

Optegra Ophthalmic Surgeon, Mr Robert Petrarca, who set up the service at the hospital group, said: “The treatment pathway can vary for glaucoma patients, for those whose condition is stable and low-risk and who can be regularly monitored at their community optometrist, to those with more complex, high-risk cases who need surgical intervention or treatment at a Trust hospital.

“However, there is a large cohort of patients in the middle of these – those whose condition has

changed and may need adjustments to treatment. This is where we at Optegra can help. As these patients need to be reviewed by glaucoma specialists – who cannot be found at community optometrists – and are facing too long a waiting list to go to their Trust hospital.

“We can provide this review and treatment and only refer those who need complex trabeculectomy surgery on to Trusts – which means speedier access to treatment, as well as helping relieve Trust waiting lists for glaucoma.”

Melanie Andrew, NHS Commissioning Director at Optegra Eye Health Care, said: “As the independent sector continues to deliver excellent care for NHS treatments, we are proud to extend beyond cataract surgery and AMD injections, to now support glaucoma patients too.

“There are some patients who will need both cataract and glaucoma support and we are well positioned to provide a joint treatment in those cases – there are many opportunities to explore and we are excited to grow our treatment offering in this way.”

Patient Mr Luay Hussein, who has recently accessed this service in Optegra Eye Hospital Manchester, says: “The service I have received so far at Optegra has been excellent. I was advised to attend the new glaucoma clinic within eight weeks and have a phone number to call if I notice any changes in my vision, which is very reassuring.

“My condition is being closely monitored so I know that any changes will be picked up quickly and I am very happy about that.”

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 78 eye hospitals across the UK, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Holland.