A cataract patient has spoken of his relief after his vision was saved thanks to surgery at a specialist cataract treatment centre in Birmingham. Arshad, who avoided having to wait for treatment by receiving cataract surgery from ACES, praised how quickly he was treated once referred.
Ahead of a busy Christmas period, community eye care provider ACES won approval from Birmingham and Solihull ICB to begin treating NHS eye care patients like Arshad.
He said, “Once I had been referred to ACES I only had to wait a few weeks before having surgery. It was a huge relief to be treated so quickly as my vision was really affecting my life; I was struggling to recognise friends and loved ones. My sight was especially bad when outside, which made it feel dangerous to go out.
“When I went into the clinic, all the staff were friendly and helpful, and the procedure was really easy and quick. I’d definitely recommend ACES to others who need cataract treatment.”
Cataracts are cloudy patches that form on the natural lens of your eye. Over time these patches usually become bigger, causing blurry vision and if left untreated, can eventually lead to blindness. The condition largely affects older people, and the longer they go without treatment, the greater the risk of associated mental health issues, or of suffering a serious fall, which requires urgent and costly medical care. Statistics show that 1 in 3 adults over the age of 65 suffer a fall every year, rising to 1 in 2 over the age of 801.
Until now, NHS cataract patients in Birmingham have often suffered severe delays for treatment. The approval of ACES treating cataract patients in the area marks a step towards reducing the backlog for cataract surgery, meaning patients in the city won’t have to wait as long to receive care. People who live in Birmingham who have any concerns about their eyesight are encouraged to book a consultation with their optometrist or speak to their GP who can then refer them onto ACES for treatment.
ACES typically treats the cataracts of NHS patients four weeks from their pre-assessment2, with the opportunity for some patients existing to have surgery within fourteen days, significantly reducing waiting times in the process. Giving patients the care they need in a timely manner helps to avoid further medical complications caused by poor eyesight, for example by reducing the risk of trips and falls. ACES expert surgeons will deliver the NHS service from Optical Express’s state of the art clinic in Birmingham.
Stephen Hannan, Clinical Services Director at Optical Express and ACES, said: “This partnership has been crucial in supporting NHS patients up and down the country to get the visual care they need. Lengthy waiting lists for NHS cataract surgery represent one of the biggest problems facing the eye care sector, and we’re very proud to be helping to reduce it. It’s vital that anyone who is concerned about their vision speaks to an optometrist, or their GP, to be referred to ACES.”
In addition to its new offer in Birmingham, ACES has also won permission to begin treating NHS patients in many other Integrated Care Board (ICB) areas in England.
[2] Treatment, appointment and wait time is subject to availability and dependent on patient and clinic location.
