Hospital alliance brings cataract care closer to home

Patients in South Tyneside who are undergoing treatment for cataract problems are benefitting from having more care closer to home thanks to a strategic alliance between South Tyneside and City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trusts.

For the first time ever, the majority of patients waiting for a cataract operation are now able to have all of their pre-operative care within the borough of South Tyneside, reducing the need to travel for pre-operative assessments for approximately 400 cataract patients every single year.

Sunderland Eye Infirmary has worked with South Tyneside for a number of years delivering outpatient clinics at the District Hospital in South Shields and at Palmer Community Hospital in Jarrow.

These outpatient clinics, led by consultants and supported by senior medical trainees, are for a variety of eye condition, including first appointments and reviews.

Previously, however, all pre-operative assessments for cataract procedures were undertaken at Sunderland Eye Infirmary, meaning hundreds of South Tyneside patients had to travel to Sunderland for straightforward tests.

Thanks to the close partnerships between the two trusts, new nurse-led pre-operative assessment clinics in October at South Tyneside District Hospital mean that, unless patients require highly and ophthalmic imaging, the majority of South Tyneside’s cataract patients will now only have to make the trip to Sunderland for the actual surgery.

They will receive vision testing using newly-purchased equipment costing £42,300 - the equivalent to that at Sunderland - and will have their eyes tested specifically for the choice of lens implant needed for the cataract procedure.

The preoperative clinics are run by highly skilled and experience ophthalmic nursing staff who make sure the appropriate lens is ready and waiting in Sunderland for patients when they attend for surgery.

The same specialist nurses also work as primary nurses within Sunderland Eye Infirmary’s cataract centre, meaning patients will see familiar faces when when they arrive for surgery.

The new clinics are the latest development to emerge through the South Tyneside and Sunderland Healthcare Group strategic alliance, which was formed between South Tyneside and City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trusts in March 2016. A joint executive management team has been in place since November 2016 and is working towards a shared vision to develop high quality healthcare services that will benefit local communities for many years to come.

Oliver Baylis, consultant ophthalmologist, said: “The development of cataracts (a cloudy lens over the eye) is a very common cause of vision deterioration, especially amongst older people. Cataracts can be treated by an operation to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with a clear plastic lens and, as with any surgery, a thorough pre-operative assessmentfor every patientis necessary.

“Previously patients in South Tyneside had to travel for this assessment but we can now offer this service locally, with just one clinic appointment needed to assess, investigate and plan surgery for the majority of cataract patients.”

Lynn Bates, cataract treatment centre deputy manager, said: “By providing the same specialised care in South Tyneside that is currently available in Sunderland, we aim to have a positive impact on patients who will be seen at their local hospital, reducing travelling time and costs.”

Ken Bremner, chief executive of South Tyneside and City Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts, said: “This latest initiative is just one example of the fantastic benefits for South Tyneside and Sunderland patients thanks to the joint working between our two trusts. Bringing more of our specialist ophthalmology (eye) clinics to South Tyneside means more people will now able to stay local for the majority of their care which is great news for patients.

“We know just how important it is for local communities to have equitable access to a wide range of safe, high quality healthcare services, which offer the very best possible health outcomes. This is one of the core aims of the Healthcare Group.

“As we look forward to the future and how our hospital and community teams can continue to work in partnership to share clinical expertise and resource, we remain absolutely committed to achieving this collective ambition for people living across South Tyneside and Sunderland.”