A NEW £500,000 state-of-the-art centre offering the very latest in imaging technology is set to see double the number of patients.

The Bradford Macula Centre, part of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has moved out of the temporary building it used to share with the pain management clinic at St Luke’s Hospital in Trinity Road and now has its own space with sophisticated scanning equipment capable of detecting a number of eye conditions.

Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon Faruque Ghanchi says the new centre will speed up the patients’ journey through the clinic and increase the number of patients it can treat.

“Ultimately we hope to be able to see twice as many patients as we see at the moment,” he said.

Patients with suspected wet macular degeneration, a condition that causes the loss of central vision usually in both eyes, will be seen and treated for this condition more quickly, improving the success of the treatment, added Professor Ghanchi.

The number of clinics will be increased from five each week to ten and patients can be referred directly for help by their opticians on a fast-track referral system, upping patients from about 125 to ultimately 300.

Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon Helen Devonport said the project has been a joint working agreement with life science company Bayer Pharmaceuticals who have funded more than £130,000 for a new Optical Coherence Tomography scanner in the unit.

The scanning system produces highly detailed images of the retina and is similar to an MRI or X-ray of the eye.

She said: “OCT Scanning is the most sophisticated tool available for assessing eye health and detecting eye conditions, including macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease and other eye disorders.

“This scanner allows us to see detailed images of the lining of the back of the eye, enabling us to accurately detect, monitor and manage changes to the retina. This latest technology allows us to see flow in blood vessels in the retina without having to inject patients with dye. Previously abnormal blood vessels could only be detected on photos taken after patients received an intravenous injection of one or two dyes. So we are very grateful to Bayer for their support.”

The Trust’s ophthalmology department is home to numerous worldwide clinical trials taking the lead in eye care research and has liaised with local optometrists about the opening of the new centre.

Patient, Mr Levi Hall, of Wibsey, Bradford is one of the many patients now using the new and improved facilities.

Mr Hall, aged 78, who has macular degeneration, has been using the Trust’s macula service for the past 10 years. He said: “The facilities are wonderful. It is so spacious and comfortable and has made a real difference to appointments which can take up to two hours. Everything runs like clockwork.

“I attend every six weeks now and over the years have taken part in clinical trials, testing different drugs. I have to say the staff are brilliant, so kind and caring, and now having the new surroundings makes attending clinic so much easier.”

Bayer Medical Director for Ophthalmology Dr Jackie Napier said: “We are proud to support NHS trusts across the UK to improve care for people with sight-threatening eye conditions. We need to continue to work together as an ophthalmology community to overcome challenges in service delivery so we can preserve patients’ sight as much as possible.”