New eye hospital to reduce waiting times in Chesterfield
A state-of-the-art eye care hospital is set to open in Chesterfield, and promises to reduce waiting times for patients in our area.
The SpaMedica clinic, which can be found just outside the town centre on Spire Walk, Derby Road, specialises in NHS cataract surgery and will reduce the waiting time to just four to eight weeks from referral, compared to a national target of 18 weeks.
The new hospital has already created a variety of clinical, administrative and operational jobs for the local community, and will help to meet rising demand for treating the sight-stealing condition, with the number of people living with sight loss expected to increase by 20% by 2032.
SpaMedica’s Chesterfield clinic is the second within the county, with the other being based nearby in Derby.
Around 21% of the Derbyshire population is aged over 65 – some 223,000 residents. With approximately 30% of over 65s believed to live with a cataract that impairs their vision, up to 67,000 people in Derbyshire could be affected.
Hospital manager Kirsty Hardy said: “We have a fantastic new facility in Chesterfield and can’t wait to help patients from across Derbyshire get back to doing the hobbies and activities they love – like reading and driving – as soon as possible.
“We know that cataracts can have a major impact on people’s ability to live life to its fullest, so working in partnership with the NHS to reduce waiting times for surgery means a lot to us.
“Many people in England don’t realise that they have the right to choose where they have their cataract treatment. All they need to do is ask their optician or GP to refer them to their hospital of choice.
“Our Chesterfield hospital is easy to get to by car or public transport – and we offer a free door-to-door transport service for patients if they need it, too.”
If you’re looking for a perfect location and quality of life for you and your family, look no further than Chesterfield. Find out more about living in our town here.
