SpaMedica – one of the country’s leading providers of NHS eye patient services – has opened a new, state-of-the-art eye hospital in Chester.
The site on Chester Business Park will provide cataract surgery and YAG laser capsulotomy to local NHS patients, helping to cut waiting times for those requiring treatment to improve their vision. The new hospital will offer appointments to patients in just two to four weeks, compared to a national target of 18 weeks.
Offering a comfortable, welcoming environment for patients and their families, the site also provides a free transport service to and from the hospital.
Chester is the 47th SpaMedica site in the UK; 28 of those hospitals have recently been inspected by industry regulator the Care Quality Commission, with 11 (39%) receiving an ‘Outstanding’ rating and 17 (61%) achieving a ‘Good’ rating. In January 2023, Catherine Campbell, the CQC’s head of hospital inspection, described SpaMedica’s operating model as “an exemplar of best practice which others can, and should, learn from”.
SpaMedica’s hospitals have some of the lowest complication rates nationally, with procedures carried out by highly experienced consultant surgeons.
Hospital manager Kerry Moseley - who led SpaMedica Skelmersdale to an ‘Outstanding’ rating in April last year and is now bringing her expertise to SpaMedica Chester – said: “I’m thrilled to be working alongside a team of skilled surgeons and healthcare professionals to deliver the best possible care to patients in Chester and the surrounding areas.
“We’re working in partnership with the NHS to reduce local waiting lists and ensure patients who need cataract surgery or YAG laser capsulotomy get rapid access to high-quality treatment. Having seen the difference these procedures can make to patients’ lives, we can’t wait to get started and help local residents get back to doing the hobbies and activities they love.”
NHS patients who have been diagnosed with cataracts or posterior capsule opacification can ask for a referral to SpaMedica Chester through their local optician or GP.
