Local people in the Redbridge area now have access to specialist eye care closer to home following the opening of a new service in the Loxford polyclinic.

Experts from Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are now running four separate clinics every Tuesday and Wednesday to deal with a range of eye conditions, including glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease.

“We’re delighted to have been given the chance to provide our specialist services in a more convenient location for the people of Redbridge,” says Dr Chien Wong, who leads two of the clinic sessions at Loxford polyclinic.  “This ‘outreach’ model of care is one that Moorfields has pioneered in and around London, and has real benefits for patients who have to travel less far to see a specialist.”

Patients who want to be seen by Moorfields’ specialist staff at Loxford should speak to their GP in the first instance.

-ENDS-

Notes for Editors

• Moorfields at Loxford polyclinic opened on 18 August 2009, although our full complement of services did not become fully operational until 14 September
• There will be four clinics on Tuesdays and Wednesdays covering primary care, glaucoma and medical retina caes
• Patients requiring services from the Moorfields team will need to be referred by their GP

About Moorfields

• Opened in 1805, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the world’s leading centres for ophthalmic treatment and teaching. It is the oldest and largest specialist eye hospital in the world, and became one of the UK’s first NHS foundation trusts in 2004. 
• With our research partner, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, we are embarking on an exciting programme of research in order to find cures for diseases currently untreatable.  UCL Partners, of which both organisations are an integral part, was recently named as one of the first academic health science centres in the country.
• We treat the entire range of eye diseases from cataract, corneal and retinal conditions to complex diseases, dealing with almost 400,000 patient visits in 2008/09.
• For further information about Moorfields, please visit www.moorfields.nhs.uk
  

About Loxford polyclinic

• The Loxford Polyclinic is London’s first purpose-built polyclinic, situated in the most deprived ward of Redbridge. Two local GP practices with a combined list size of approximately 12,000 were the first to move into the site, following a formal consultation with patients regarding this move. 63% of respondents were unequivocally in favour of the proposals to relocate, with a further 18% cautiously in favour. Four local practices will be networked into the Polyclinic. Loxford offers a full range of services GP outpatient, voluntary and community services. NHS Redbridge has a long-term strategy which will see the whole population of Redbridge served by five ‘polysystems’ that will transform how services are delivered across Redbridge. Each ‘polysystem’ will cover a total population of approximately 50,000 and will be networked with GP practices in their local area.
• Between when the Loxford opened its doors to patients on 15 June to 31 July 2009, there have been:
  • 13,247 GP appointments, of those about 400 were walk-in appointments
  • 1,544 outpatient appointments.