First specialist eye treatment centre opened in Wales

Vaughan Gething AM, The Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport officially opened the first specialist eye treatment centre integrated with a high street optician on 16 January.

Specsavers in Newport is now home to the Austin Friars Eye Treatment Centre which has reduced waiting times for assessment, diagnosis and treatment for people with an age-related eye condition and increased the volumes of patients seen by 20%.

The centre is the first of its kind in the UK to see a high street optician provide initial screening and referrals for people with symptoms of wet age-related macular degeneration (Wet AMD), and for NHS staff delivering treatment for the condition at the same location.