CHEC Kings Norton is set to reduce NHS waiting times and increase patient choice 

CHEC Kings Norton welcomed its first NHS patients after officially opening the doors at the site in Birmingham. 

The conveniently located facility will help reduce NHS waiting times and increase patient choice by providing timely access to ophthalmology services such as cataracts, YAG Laser, and Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) to local residents.

With free parking and excellent transport links, the new clinical facility is equipped with a state-of-the-art ophthalmology theatre. Now accepting referrals, the community hospital is supporting the NHS to reduce waiting times by treating patients within four weeks.

Natasha Watts, Hospital Manager at CHEC Kings Norton, said: “For well over a decade, we’ve been trusted by the NHS to deliver healthcare services free of charge to local communities, and we’re very excited to be opening our doors in Kings Norton.

“Patient choice, exceptional care, and equity of access are central to our operations and ethos, which is why we’re proud to collaborate with NHS partners nationwide, helping to keep waiting times to a minimum while delivering the very best quality of care.

“We look forward to welcoming patients, and invite the local community to get in touch and learn more about how we work with the NHS to make much-needed treatments more readily accessible.”

To learn more about accessing the services CHEC provides at its Kings Norton site, please contact engagement@chec.uk  

CHEC continues to supports local residents together with the NHS 

As one of the UK’s leading providers of community-based ophthalmology and endoscopy services, we recently celebrated a significant milestone with our Milton Keynes site treating its first endoscopy patients earlier this month.

Already offering end to end ophthalmic services, the recent addition of endoscopy services strengthens our position as a trusted provider of community healthcare. Based in a state-of-the-art centre, the community care facility has a dedicated clinical team and on-site ophthalmology and endoscopy suite. 

Working with the NHS, CHEC increases patient choice and reduces waiting times for people in Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas by making essential treatments more accessible. 

“The waiting time for general outpatient gastroenterology services in Milton Keynes is currently up to 58 weeks,” said Alex Osipowicz, Hospital Manager. “By choosing CHEC, patients can access endoscopy treatment within up to four weeks. Patient choice and high quality standards of care are front and centre of what we do at CHEC, alongside an ongoing commitment to make it easier for people in our communities to access the healthcare services they need. What we find most rewarding is seeing the impact our offering has, because we know it will be a huge benefit for wellbeing in the community.”

To learn more about accessing the community-based endoscopy treatments CHEC provides with the NHS, please visit chec.uk

CHEC marks one year milestone with community celebration 

Staff and patients at CHEC Stockport were celebrating earlier this month after the community-based healthcare provider marked a whole year of working with the NHS to increase patient choice and reduce waiting times. 

Since first opening its doors in October 2023, CHEC Stockport has completed over 1,231 cataract surgeries. The community hospital has also succeeded in consistently maintaining very low waiting times, with patients currently able to access treatment within four weeks of initial referral. 

“It’s hard to believe it’s only a year ago that we welcomed our first patients to CHEC Stockport,” comments Erin Broad, Hospital Manager. “Patient choice and reducing waiting times are at the forefront of the NHS agenda. Working with the NHS, we constantly look for new ways to make it easier for patients to exercise that choice and access the treatment they need,”

Over the last 12 months, CHEC Stockport has pioneered a series of initiatives that make it easier for patients to access its community-based healthcare services. These include a free Home to Hospital™ pick up service and an online patient booking app. We’d like to thank the local community for choosing CHEC Stockport, trusting us to deliver the highest standards of care, and for joining us to celebrate our first anniversary!” continues Erin. 

CHEC has established a stronghold for community healthcare provision across North West England, with hospitals in Trafford Park, Warrington, Preston, and Blackpool. Throughout the UK, CHEC now has more than 30 hospitals and 90 community sites. 

To learn more accessing the community-based ophthalmology treatments CHEC provides with the NHS, please visit chec.uk 

At CHEC, we’re committed to providing the highest quality eye care. We’re pleased to introduce our new vitreoretinal surgery service, now available at several of our hospitals.

The specialised field of ophthalmology focuses on treating a range of diseases and conditions affecting the retina and vitreous of the eye, including epiretinal membranes (ERM) and macular holes, both of which dramatically reduce a person’s ability to live independently. 

CHEC has launched the vitreoretinal surgery service from its Trafford and Stockport hospitals and plans to expand it across more sites in coming months, to improve access and convenience for patients undergoing the life-changing surgery. CHEC’s state of the art hospitals are equipped with the latest ophthalmology technology including advanced imaging systems and the latest surgical tools, with a dedicated team of specialist consultants and highly trained support staff ensuring the highest standards of vitreoretinal care, before, during and after the procedure.

In 2023/24, CHEC treated more than 372,000 ophthalmology patients with an average wait time of less than four weeks.

Mahmoud Rabie, Clinical Director for Ophthalmology and Consultant Ophthalmologist for CHEC, said: “ERM and macular holes create blurred and wavy vision, and dark spots, making it difficult to conduct basic tasks like recognising faces, reading and driving and ultimately affecting the wellbeing of patients. Despite the complexity of these conditions, many patients experience delayed care due to hospital backlogs, which can affect the clinical prognosis and increase the vision loss. Even though this is such a specialised field of ophthalmology, procedures last approximately one hour and require only local anaesthesia, meaning patients can have their lives transformed quickly and notice great results within a matter of weeks, with a speedier return to normal life. As well as our industry-leading technologies, our team of surgeons and dedicated support staff are committed to providing exceptional treatment while patients are with us, and offer all the advice they need to aid their recovery. We’re pleased to now offer these highly specialised services to the communities of Trafford and Stockport, helping improve their quality of life. We’ve received remarkable feedback from patients who are thrilled with the outcome of their surgery, so look forward to rolling the service out nationally in due course.”

For more information, visit CHEC’s Vitreoretinal surgery page.

CHEC Preston celebrated with patients whilst raising awareness of eye health and patient choice

As one of the UK’s leading providers of community healthcare, we celebrated National Eye Health Week 2024 by welcoming local communities to a free Eye Health Fair, hosted at CHEC HQ in Preston.

The Eye Health Fair was our first patient open day event, promoting and supporting the importance of eye health in line with National Eye Health Week. The community Eye Health Fair educated local people, with CHEC surgeon Dr Moeman Elnawawy on hand to answer questions and share advice about the importance of eyecare and patient choice.  

Working with the NHS, CHEC offers local residents increased choice and improved access to much-needed services in the community. Based in Broughton Business Park, Fulwood, CHEC Preston opened its doors in 2021 and has since welcomed thousands of ophthalmology patients. 

A free, fun and informative day for all ages, the Eye Health Fair took patients behind the scenes of the community hospital, provided refreshments including coffee and cake, and hosted activities such as games, prize draws, and face painting. 

Local charities including Galloways Society for the Blind and Guide Dogs UK attended the event with their own stations, to share their services and knowledge with the community. Disability charity Scope supplied eye drops, hot and cold compresses, eye cleansing wipes and spray to support dry eye conditions and eye health. 

Antonia Fox, Hospital Manager at CHEC Preston, said: “The Eye Health Fair was a fantastic opportunity for us to engage with patients in the local community, sharing the importance of eye health, offering our advice, and raising awareness of National Eye Health Week. Our patients are at the heart of everything we do, and the Eye Health Fair really was all about the community. It was lovely to see the community come together to meet our eye doctors, explore the hospital, and learn more about the incredible work of charities like Galloways and Guide Dogs UK.” 

CHEC Preston is one of over 30 CHEC hospitals treating patients across England, helping to reduce NHS waiting lists and providing accessible and quality healthcare, in the heart of the community. To learn more about the Eye Health Fair, or share ideas about future community events, please contact events@chec.uk.