Stephen Metcalfe, MP for South Basildon & East Thurrock, has welcomed the news that a new Ophthalmology Diagnostic Hub has opened at Orsett Hospital in Thurrock – a one-stop-shop for the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
The Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has announced that its new Ophthalmology Diagnostic Hub is taking patients as of 12 March 2024. The Trust is using diagnostic hubs as a way to see more patients and reduce backlogs. Diagnostic hubs take patients through a series of rapid tests in a 45-minute appointment. Consultants and their teams review the results and inform patients by letter or by phone about subsequent actions.
Improving NHS efficiency is a central aim of the new Ophthalmology Diagnostic Hub. It will split patients into two lanes – one for glaucoma and one for retinal diseases. Technicians will see 30 patients per day, or 150 patients per week. Each test result will be electronically recorded and reviewed remotely by consultants and optometrists. Currently, a consultant sees around 10 patients per face-to-face clinic but this hub will increase the number to 20-24 patients per face-to-face clinic.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “The last few years have not been easy, with the legacy of Covid and increasing demand for the NHS. There are backlogs and they will be solved by technical improvements so that consultants can use their time to maximum efficiency.
I am very pleased to see that the Ophthalmology Diagnostic Hub is open. It is essential that we reduce waiting times for eye care.”
