Eye Service Celebrates First Anniversary

Staff and patients are celebrating the first anniversary of a charity-funded eye service in Stafford.

County Hospital’s Ophthalmology Department opened its doors to patients in February thanks to a £200,000 grant from UHNM Charity.

The service has so far helped hundreds of patients diagnose, treat and prevent various eye diseases. 

Karen Matthews, Head of Orthoptics at University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) said: “With the help of UHNM Charity and their generous supporters, we were able to open this brand-new service at County Hospital, along with all new state-of-the-art equipment.”

“Despite it being a difficult year with the Covid-19 pandemic, the service has been a huge success for people living in and around Stafford, helping to not only reduce waiting times for patients, but keep appointments local which helps reduce travel during lockdown.”

The new Ophthalmology Department is the latest improvement made to patient care and experience at County Hospital thanks to UHNM Charity, who have funded a number of recent improvements including a new Chemotherapy Garden to be used by cancer patients, and the refurbishment of the Outpatients and Orthopaedics departments.

The service has been praised by patients for its friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Ranjit Viswanbaram, Orthoptic Technician said: “The thing I enjoy most about my job is being around patients and seeing to their needs and ensuring all clinical aspects are met. During Covid-19 the whole team worked very effectively to minimise disruption to patients, and I felt very supported by colleagues.”

Lisa Thomson, Director of Communications and Charity at UHNM said: “UHNM Charity is delighted to celebrate this milestone for the service. It’s an important part of our on-going commitment to improving the experiences of our patients in and around the County Town. We would like to thank our fundraisers and donors who have made this possible, helping to support the work our incredible staff here at County Hospital.”

If you would like to fundraise for UHNM Charity visit www.uhnmcharity.org.uk for more information, or call 01782 676444 to speak to one of the UHNM Charity team.