22 June 2017

Eye appointments provided in the Outpatients Department at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) are moving location from Monday (26 June 2017).

  • Adult ophthalmology outpatient appointments, which are currently provided in Clinic 10 at RSH, will move to the nearby Copthorne Building at RSH from Monday (26 June 2017).
  • The urgent eye clinic for adults and paediatric patients, which is currently provided in Clinic 10 at RSH, will move to the Copthorne Building at RSH from Monday (26 June 2017).

Paediatric (children’s) ophthalmology outpatient appointments, which are currently provided in Clinic 10 at RSH, temporarily moved to the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford on 30 May 2017.

The creation of a new Eye Department in the Copthorne Building at RSH will bring a number of benefits to patients including modern facilities, new equipment and increased capacity meaning more patients will be able to be treated each year.

The following services are affected:

  • Ophthalmology paediatric outpatient services delivered at Clinic 10 at RSH, including those seen with the Orthoptic service, temporarily moved to PRH in Telford on 30 May 2017.
  • Adult ophthalmology outpatient services provided in Clinic 10 at RSH which will move into a new Eye Department in the Copthorne Building at RSH from Monday (26 June 2017).
  • The urgent eye clinic for adults and paediatric patients, which is currently provided in Clinic 10 at RSH, will move into the new Eye Department in the Copthorne Building at RSH from Monday (26 June 2017).

The following services are not affected:

  • Ophthalmology paediatric operations – these will continue to be provided at PRH.
  • Adult ophthalmology services provided at PRH and ICAT at Euston House in Telford.
  • Orthoptic outreach clinics for paediatric patients at Newtown, Welshpool, Ludlow, Bridgnorth, Whitchurch, Market Drayton and Oswestry.

What do I (as a patient) need to do?

  • You will be informed by letter or when your appointment is booked about where your appointment will take place.

Why are these changes taking place?

  • The move into the Copthorne Building will provide modern facilities, designed for ophthalmology patients. The new facility will feature more clinical rooms, new equipment, and extra capacity meaning that more patients can be seen each year.
  • Further building work needs to take place to prepare the new paediatric ophthalmology area within the Copthorne Building. Whilst this work takes place all ophthalmology paediatric outpatient appointments will take place at PRH. This is to ensure there is no loss of paediatric outpatient capacity across the whole service.

How will long will these arrangements be in place?

  • The adult ophthalmology outpatient service will be based in the Copthorne Building for the foreseeable future.
  • The paediatric ophthalmology outpatient service will be based at PRH whilst work takes place in the Copthorne Building. This is expected to be completed in around October 2017. Paediatric Ophthalmology outpatient services will then be provided at both PRH and the Copthorne Building for the foreseeable future.

Mr Prasad Rao, Consultant Ophthalmologist and Clinical Director at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: “It’s fantastic news that a new Eye Department is being created for our patients from Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales.

“Our new Eye Department at RSH has been designed with the needs of ophthalmology patients in mind and will mean our outpatient services will be provided in a modern facility, with new equipment and more clinic rooms where we can see more patients each year.

“We’re sorry that we won’t be able to provide paediatric ophthalmology appointments at RSH until the autumn and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

“But we’re confident that the new Eye Department in the Copthorne Building at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital will provide excellent facilities where we can continue to ensure the best possible care for our patients and also attract new staff to enhance our capacity further.”