Chance to have say on Telford eye centre move

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust (SaTH) has launched a public consultation on plans to move ophthalmology services currently provided at Euston House (ICAT) in Telford, to the eye departments at the county’s main hospitals – Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) and Princess Royal Hospital Telford (PRH).

The move is being made in an effort to improve a service that Tony Fox, deputy medical director at SaTH described earlier this month as “fragile”.

SaTH says that moving the services would “improve patient care and waiting times; as well as help recruit and retain staff”.

People are being quizzed on two options. The first would see no change and the second would see see adult outpatient services from Euston House moved into the respective main hospital sites, and cataract surgery to the Copthorne building at RSH.

Mr Fox said: “The demand for eye services provided by SaTH remains incredibly high.

Activity

“By relocating services back to RSH and PRH it would not only help us to improve waiting times for our patients, it would also help us to recruit and retain the staff to provide those services.

“Staff would spend less time travelling, resulting in more clinical activity.”

"Having more staff at reduced sites would potentially mean appointments would not have to be cancelled due to sickness; and having staff working alongside each other – rather than being spread across sites – would enable many patients to have their eye needs met in one appointment rather than multiple appointments and trips.

“We would like to encourage anyone with an interest in hospital eye services to complete the questionnaire. It is important for them to have their say as this will help us to shape how services will be provided for them in the future.”

The consultation will run until February 18.

People can respond to the questionnaire at sath.nhs.uk/wards-services/az-services/ophthalmology or via surveymonkey.co.uk/r/1810EyeCare