Mayor officially opens new eye health clinic and surgical centre in Shrewsbury

Councillor Julian Dean was joined in cutting the ribbon by Doug and Dame Mary Perkins, founders of Specsavers, and the team at Newmedica Shrewsbury.

The new clinic, in Anchorage Avenue, has been open to patients for a few weeks now, and boasts an electric car charging point which the mayor was delighted to see.

Councillor Dean said: "I was delighted to be invited to open the new clinic, which I’m sure will be a massive asset to the health system locally after a really tough year – and to local people.

"I would like to wish all the team all the luck in the world for the future."

The clinic has already received excellent feedback from early patients, including Janet Hanmer, who was the first person to have cataract surgery at the site.

Mrs Hanmer said: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank and praise Newmedica on their professional advice and treatment, supported by an exceptional well-trained team, who all work so wonderfully together, and you can sense this, in such a genuinely good atmosphere. It was such a prompt easy service, with no long waiting lists, and was just amazing.

"My vision already seems to have improved immensely, and I am looking forward to having treatment on my other eye, and regaining quality of life again by reading and gardening and a flutter on the horseracing which I have always enjoyed, but in recent years have struggled. If anyone is in doubt, I would just like to say, “go for it”, if I can get through it, then anyone can."

Newmedica Shrewsbury is run by an all-female team of partners, operational director Cinty Yarnell and consultant ophthalmology partners Carmel Noonan and Kaveri Mandal, and offers NHS and private treatment for cataract surgery and aftercare, YAG laser treatment (a treatment used after cataract surgery), medical retina clinics, and general eye surgery including minor oculoplastics.

It will reduce waiting times for patients for essential eye surgery across Shrewsbury, wider Shropshire, and further afield, cutting waiting times for those referred by local opticians and the NHS to just a few weeks.

Cinty said: "We’d like to thank the mayor, Doug and Dame Mary, and so many local people for joining us to celebrate the opening of our new clinic. We’ve already treated a number of patients, and have had some wonderful feedback from them on the treatment and care they’ve received from our team.

"We look forward to welcoming many more local patients to our clinic over the coming weeks, months and years."