An eye clinic has been bolstered with £320,000 investment that will allow 70 per cent more patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to be treated.
Seacroft Hospital in Leeds has secured the funding from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Novartis Pharmaceuticals.
A new and expanded wet AMD service at the hospital includes five clean rooms, a dedicated waiting area and new signage. It has been co-located with refurbished ophthalmology outpatient facilities, including a laser suite and a number of clinic rooms.
The community's original wet AMD service based at St James's University Hospital has seen demand continue to rise.
Martin McKibbin, consultant ophthalmologist at Seacroft Hospital, said: 'The new service builds on the good work that has already taken place at St James's University Hospital over the past five years.'
'We are very proud of the new service and it is really great news for local people with wet AMD and other macular diseases, as we will soon be able to assess significantly more patients every week. This is particularly important as the management of these conditions requires regular treatment to ensure the best outcomes.'