A new eye care service is bucking the trend of declining national cataract care by offering surgery on both eyes within four weeks of being referred by an optometrist.
The tie-up between Care UK and Manchester Consultants Eye Partnership claimed to have reduced waiting times for NHS patients by 11 weeks compared to some other areas.
It comes amid another report highlighting the rationing of cataract services by some clinical commissioning groups. The Dr Foster Hospital Guide 2013, released last week, showed most CCGs had reduced the number of cataract operations they performed between 2010 and 2013.
The Rochdale NHS Ophthalmology Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service (CATS) has treated over 9,000 NHS patients since it received Any Qualified Provider status to provide cataract surgery, laser treatment and ocular plastic surgery at the Croft Shifa Health Centre a year ago. Ericka Ashworth, head of clinical services at Rochdale NHS Ophthalmology CATS, said: ‘Since achieving AQP accreditation for eye surgery this clinic has gone from strength to strength and we work hard to make sure patients have access to a service which fits in with their busy lives.
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