New Cataract Service to launch at Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre

People who need surgery for cataracts will be able to get treatment in Medway for the first time from 1 April. NHS Medway has signed a contract with the Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre in Gillingham to provide treatment for the eye condition.

It means that patients - who are almost always older people - will, for the first time, have the option to be treated in Medway if they wish.

The cataract service at the Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre, run by Care UK on behalf of the NHS, started taking referrals this week.

NHS Medway Chief Executive Marion Dinwoodie said: "We are delighted to have agreed this new service which will enable people to be treated closer to home. It is part of our drive to improve health and healthcare for people in Medway, and ensure that people get high quality, convenient care that meets their needs."

Grant Rex, Managing Director of Care UK Secondary Care Services said: “The opening of this new cataract unit will make a huge difference to patients in the Medway area. Care UK is proud of the track record we have achieved with the Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre since we opened in 2005, with 98% of our patients rating their care as good or excellent, and we look forward to providing similarly high levels of care for cataracts patients at the centre.”

The Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre only treats NHS patients. As well as the new cataract service, the centre also includes consulting rooms, operating theatres, and a day case unit. The cataract unit is being funded as part of the centre’s overall contract with NHS Medway.