Hundreds to benefit from new eye specialists at NHS Highland
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VISION support workers are celebrating the success of an NHS Highland recruitment campaign which attracted two consultant opthalmologists into post – despite a national shortage.
Gillian Mitchell, client services manager of the city’s Sight Action charity, said filling the vacancies will speed up diagnoses and improve the lives of hundreds of patients suffering with eye problems.
It comes after new waiting lists statistics reveal some patients are waiting as long as 35 weeks for a new outpatient appointment at the opthalmology service at Raigmore Hospital.
But in a new statement yesterday, the health board said: “Despite a national shortage of consultant ophthalmologists, we have successfully recruited to our two vacant consultant posts with the first of these appointments taking place late May 2018 and the second start date to be confirmed for later in the year.
“In addition to our vacant consultant posts we have also had vacancies across our orthoptic and optometry services which we are continuing in our attempts to fill. All of these factors have unfortunately contributed to lengthy waiting times for our patients which is unacceptable.“
NHS Highland also said that within Raigmore Hospital it was about to have access to additional clinic rooms, and this, combined with holding a review of patient pathways would see an improvement in patient flow and waiting times.
Ms Mitchell of Sight Action said it was a real boon for the Highlands.
The Old Perth road charity is contracted by NHS Highland to give blind and partially-sighted adults and children information, and teach them skills and provide access to specialist support and equipment,
Ms Mitchell said: “These are very key posts because if you do not have a diagnosis you don’t have support. Those consultants are the only people in the healthcare system who can register someone blind or partially-sighted. And that’s key to people getting further help. We are delighted about these posts being filled.”
Ms Murray said any delay in diagnosing eyesight problems had a major impact on someone’s well-being and on Sight Action’s ability to help them.
She said: “If it’s months before someone gets into the system and can access our service we find they’ve learned all sorts of bad habits and maybe burnt themselves a few times. The sooner we see them the better.
“But another key appointment made by NHS Highland was that of an eye clinic liaison officer two years ago.
"Our own service user forum identified the need because what was happening was the consultants were too busy to sit someone down and hold their hand while they cried and patients needed someone to link the clinical side of it with the support side.
"That person has been a big help towards people understanding their conditions and getting the support they need.”
