From left to right: Fernanda Da Silva (NHS Partnership Executive), Mr Ernest Onyema (Surgeon), Janet (Patient) & Nigel North (Theatre Practitioner)
A cataract patient in Dartford has spoken of her relief after her vision was saved thanks to surgery at a specialist cataract treatment centre. Community eye care provider ACES recently won approval from Kent and Medway ICB to begin treating NHS eye care patients.
Janet’s poor eyesight meant that she was having trouble reading, however she avoided having to wait for treatment by receiving cataract surgery from ACES.
Janet said: “I have needed glasses since I was seven, so I couldn’t wait to be able to see clearly. My eyesight was becoming a real problem because I couldn’t see information like bus routes clearly, which made it difficult to go out.
“I’d absolutely recommend ACES to others. It only took about 15 minutes, and afterwards I had really clear vision with brighter colours. It was nice to be able to pick dates for treatment, and not to have to wait months or years. All the staff were friendly and put my mind at ease ahead of the surgery.”
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 80[1].
Until now, NHS cataract patients in Dartford have often suffered severe delays for treatment. The approval of ACES marks a step towards reducing the backlog for cataract surgery, meaning patients in the area won’t have to wait as long to receive care. People who live in Dartford 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-assessment[2], with opportunity for 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 new NHS service from Optical Express’s state of the art clinic in Dartford.
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 Dartford, ACES has also won permission to begin treating NHS patients in many other Integrated Care Board (ICB) areas in England. Across the country ACES offer fast-track cataract procedures to patients within 2 to 4 weeks of referral.
[2] Treatment, appointment and wait time is subject to availability and dependent on patient and clinic location.
