£1 million upgrade for Shropshire hospital theatres

The move would see the number of operations carried out treble from 40 to 120 a week.

The eye department at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) is now based in a new facility in the Copthorne Building at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, which has been carefully designed with the needs of ophthalmology patients in mind.

Simon Wright, chief executive of the trust, said work will be taking place this year to upgrade theatres in the building which will allow SaTH to triple the number of operations it carries out in the future.

A recovery and inpatient area will also be created.

Mr Wright said between £850,000 and £1 million will be invested in the work.

It is expected to take place this year and the new facilities could be in use as early as October.

Mr Wright said: "That will give us a state-of-the-art ophthalmology environment.

"I'm absolutely delighted. Ophthalmology has been such a challenge for the hospital for well over a decade.

"What we are doing now is taking the areas that have been really challenging and we are fixing them properly."

Last month, the eye department started taking new glaucoma and general ophthalmology referrals for the first time in more than a year.

It came after the trust recruited a number of new staff to senior positions, including consultant ophthalmologists, and reduced waiting lists.

A clinician is also being trained in adult squint surgery, which means that service could also reopen to referrals later in the year.

The new eye department facility in the Copthorne Building was opened in June last year for outpatient appointments and clinics, bringing with it a number of benefits to patients including modern facilities, new equipment and increased capacity.

A new paediatric ophthalmology department was also opened in October last year.

Alongside the increased workforce and new facilities at SaTH, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have improved the community eye provision by appointing a new provider.

Community Health Eye Care Ltd provides consultant-led eye clinics at six locations throughout Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin.

The appointment of a new community eye service provider on behalf of the CCGs ensures patients that do not need to be seen at hospital get a high quality consultant-led service closer to where they live.

The trust’s ophthalmology department temporarily suspended referrals for glaucoma last year, as well as general and adult squint referrals, in order to clear a backlog and reduce waiting times.

Ophthalmology deals with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases of the eye and visual system.