Building work has delayed move from eye medicine three sites to two

The proposed reconfiguration of eye clinics across Shropshire has been delayed due to building works, and timescales “remain unclear”, a report says.

In a report for a county-wide health committee, health trust Transformation Director Tony Fox writes that the changes will provide patients with “one-stop” appointments and improve a service seen as “fragile”.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is proposing to close its ICAT clinic, at Euston House, Telford, and move its ophthalmology provision to the Princess Royal and Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals.

The Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee will discuss the update when it meets in Shrewsbury on Monday, March 2.

Previous reports for the same committee by Mr Fox, who is also a vascular surgeon, said ophthalmology has “serious challenges” and patients experienced “unacceptable” waits for treatment.

In his new update, he writes: “The ophthalmology department at SaTH has been considered a ‘fragile’ service and has had many challenges.

“One of the areas outlined for improvement was the substandard and fragmented accommodation.”

A three-phase reconfiguration was planned. The first phase, the creation of a dedicated eye department at the RSH Copthorne Building, took place in 2017, and the creation of a paediatric eye department came the following year.

The third phase would involve reducing from three sites to two and closing ICAT. This was approved by the SaTH board, but put on hold while public engagement took place. Three stakeholder sessions took place, involving the Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups, Healthwatch, RNIB and the Macular Society, and a patient survey received more than 280 responses.

“Eighty-five per cent of respondents stated they would prefer to have one appointment with everything in it, a one-stop approach,” Mr Fox writes.

He adds that the implementation of phase three has been delayed due to building works “associated with asbestos removal and improving fire precautions”.

Mr Fox writes: “Assurances have been made that works will be commencing. However, the ophthalmology department remain unclear on the timescales.”