Cllr Hirst was welcomed to the Eye Clinic by Michaela Morris, Director of Nursing and Operations; Mandy Wilson, Matron with responsibility for the Unit, and Sister Maggie Lewis, ophthalmic nurse prescriber.    Speaking after the event Michaela said: “The West Wing, from which the Eye Clinic moved, served us well but due to the building techniques of over 30 years ago it had become unfit for purpose.  It was showing damp and was really unsuitable for patients to be treated.   The new facilities are much better and we are pleased that the Mayor was able to join us for the formal opening.”

The Eye Clinic at Ashford Hospital serves patients from East Berkshire, Hounslow and Surrey, and sees up to 160 patients per day.  Some of the common conditions treated in the Eye Clinic include:

·          Cataracts – where the lens of the eye becomes opaque, not as commonly thought a skin growing over the eye. It is treated by replacing the lens with an artificial lens.

·          Glaucoma - which is raised pressure in the eye and can often be controlled with drop instillation,

·          Squints in children - which are treated by our orthoptic services, and our paediatric eye consultants.

The Clinic provides assessment and pre-operative work for day and in-patient surgery and follow-up outpatient appointments.   As a centre for day surgery many of the operations that do not need admission take place at AshfordHospital.     The service also assesses and treats all eye casualties, which are referred through GP’s and Optometrists. Some may need further referral to more specialist centres.  

Nurses, Consultants and support staff including secretaries, cleaners, and volunteers were on hand to celebrate the formal opening and see the Mayor cut the ribbon.   Regina Cusak, a cleaner who lives inStanwell, has been with the Eye Clinic for 16 years and says: “The new facilities are lovely.  Much easier to keep ‘spick and span’ than the old building.   It’s a much nicer place to work.”

Mandy Wilson, Matron and Maggie Lewis, ophthalmic nurse prescribershowed the Mayor, Cllr Hirst, around the new Eye Clinic.   Maggie, who lives in Ashford, said: “Compared to the rooms in the old West Wing our new facilities are spacious, bright and welcoming.    The Clinic Walls have been painted in bright colours and it has a very clean and airy feel to it.   Unlike the old unit our new facilities were planned with the visually impaired in mind!   Our signs are easy to read because they are black text on a yellow background.   Plenty of space means that patients don’t have to worry about bits of equipment obstructing the corridor.”

Matron Mandy Wilson, who lives in Lightwater, says: “Our new facilities really are good for patients, staff and visitors.  Having a good working environment means that our staff can offer a better service to our patients.”

The Eye service at Ashford Hospital has nine (9) full time and six (6) part time nurses, five (5) consultants and seven (7) doctors, in addition to the support staff, and they rotate through the eye clinic and eye ward.