Ophthalmology services transfer from Birch Hill to Rochdale Infirmary

Mr Hashmi, clinical director for Ophthalmology and patient

The Ophthalmology Service at Birch Hill will transfer to a new specialist unit at Rochdale Infirmary from 2 January.

The  Ophthalmology service is one of the few clinical services that remains at Birch Hill Hospital.

The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has spent £1.8 million to improve and transfer the Ophthalmology service.

The development includes two co-located theatres, refurbished outpatient and support accommodation.

The unit will be called ‘The Eye Unit’ and will provide a comprehensive ophthalmology service for both planned and emergency eye care for the population of Heywood, Middleton, Rochdale, Bury, parts of East Lancashire, Tameside and Glossop.

Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine which deals with the diseases and surgery of the visual senses, which means that the ophthalmology team see and treat people with eye conditions such as cataract, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, paediatric ophthalmology; orthoptics, vitreo-retinal surgery, corneal service and low vision service.

The new unit, which will be located on Level C at Rochdale Infirmary, will comprise an eye outpatient clinic, an eye day case area and two ophthalmic operating theatres, with out of hours eye casualty care up to 8.30pm.

A full outpatient service will be provided at Rochdale Infirmary, which will include assessment, investigation, diagnosis and minor operation treatments for patients.

Within the clinic there will be dedicated suites for age related macular degeneration, the orthoptist service, glaucoma, Fundus Fluorescein angiograms, optical coherence tomography and Humphries Fields machine.

The day case unit has three wards, two for adults plus a dedicated children’s ward, where a variety of surgical procedures will take place from Monday to Friday. The unit also provides a casualty clinic which includes an Out of Hours Eye casualty service up to 8.30pm. Staff at the pre-assessment clinic are trained to undertake routine investigations, initiate treatment and provide ongoing care if required.

Mr Hashmi, clinical director for Ophthalmology at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust which runs Rochdale Infirmary, said: “We are all keen to improve the experience that our patients receive and this new state-of-the-art environment at Rochdale Infirmary will provide this. A lot of thought has gone into how patients will move around the unit, which will enhance patient flow, productivity but most importantly provide safe, high quality care to all patients who are to undergo an ophthalmology procedure.

“There has been a considerable amount of commitment from all the staff involved in the development of the new Eye Unit at Rochdale Infirmary and the design will combine outpatients and treatment facilities which represent a significant improvement to both staff and patients.”

The transfer will finalise the completion of the sale of the Birch Hill Hospital land to an external developer and complete the Healthy Futures programme.