The service operates out of Pilgrim Hospital, Boston and Lincoln County Hospital, where orthoptic departments are also based.
Lasers, day case and outpatient facilities are also provided on both these sites and at Grantham and District Hospital.
Additional outpatient services are provided through a wide variety of locations across Lincolnshire and visual fields machines are available throughout.
There are 14 consultant staff who work within the ophthalmology department and who collectively provide a broad spectrum of sub-speciality interests, with designated teams established at Boston and Lincoln hospitals for the north and south of the county respectively.
Lincoln
The ophthalmology department at Lincoln County Hospital provides comprehensive secondary HES (Hospital Eye Service) care for most ophthalmic eye conditions within Lincolnshire.
At Lincoln there are currently eight consultants providing a range of specialist care including:
- Cataract
- Macular service (including AMD)
- Ocular plastics
- Glaucoma
- Paediatric
- Corneal surgery
- Vitreoretinal surgery
Five Specialist Nurses providing nurse led clinics in:
- Pre-operative assessment
- Nurse led AMD clinics
- Nurse led diagnostic clinics
Other services include:
- Artificial eye service
- Laser treatment
- Contact lens
- Low visual aid
There is also a daily rapid access clinic where patients who need to be seen within 48 hours are accommodated. These can be direct referrals from GPs, opticians or A&E. Regular attendees can also self-refer for chronic eye conditions. The calls are triaged by a senior ophthalmic nurse or the doctor running the clinic.
Lincoln also offers a wide range of teaching facilities including:
- Medical students from Nottingham and Leicester
- Orthoptic students
- Student nurses (including Open University students)
The ethos of the department is to provide the highest level of ophthalmic care based on current NICE/RCOP (Royal College of Ophthalmologist) guidelines, influenced by evidence based practice. We take the comments of our patients seriously and are constantly evaluating patient feedback to improve our services.
The Lincoln department also has a dedicated Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO), Deborah Dobson, who can provide advice and support for anyone affected by sight loss on topics that can make life easier:
- maintaining your independence
- equipment and technology that can help you do the things you need to do
- eye condition and treatment understanding
- access to education, employment, and leisure
- benefits and concessions that you may be entitled to
Deborah can be found in Clinic 8 and can be contacted on 07715 602556 or email deborah.dobson@rnib.org.uk. For more information on RNIB’s Sight Loss Advice Service visit www.rnib.org.uk/advice
For disabled access information about the ophthalmology department at Lincoln County Hospital please see our AccessAble accessibility guide.
For disabled access information about the ophthalmic day unit at Lincoln County Hospital please see our AccessAble accessibility guide.
Boston
The Royle Eye Department at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston is open from 8am to 8pm every weekday. They also open between 9am and 5pm during weekends and Bank Holidays.
The department can be contacted on (01205) 445626 and is situated next door to the hospital’s outpatient reception.
For disabled access information about the Royle Eye Department at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston please see our AccessAble accessibility guide.
The department caters for general ophthalmic clinics as well as many specialist clinics, including several nurse led clinics such as pre-assessment, angiograms and lacrimal clinics.
We also offer the casualty service for ophthalmics, post operative assessments, inpatient ophthalmic referrals and reviews, orthoptic assessment and visual field analysis. minor operation theatre sessions, laser treatments and retinal photography.
Our patients come from all ethnic and social backgrounds and every age group. This includes neonatal work such as retinopathy of prematurity screening and childhood screening and treatment of ophthalmic disorders and treatment of adult ophthalmic conditions including age related disorders such as cataracts and age related macular degeneration.
We also carry out the long term screening and treatment of ophthalmic disorders such as glaucoma and health promotion services to promote ocular health within both primary and secondary care situations.
One of the most important assets of our department is the knowledge and experience of staff working here. We have nursing staff with special interests ranging from neurology and ophthalmology, glaucoma and pre assessment to infection control, pharmacy, visual field and diabetes.
The Boston department also has a dedicated Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO), Sharon Jacklin, who can provide advice and support for anyone affected by sight loss on topics that can make life easier:
- maintaining your independence
- equipment and technology that can help you do the things you need to do
- eye condition and treatment understanding
- access to education, employment, and leisure
- benefits and concessions that you may be entitled to
Sharon can be contacted on 07783 659438 or email Sharon.Jacklin2@ULH.nhs.uk. For more information on RNIB’s Sight Loss Advice Service visit www.rnib.org.uk/advice
For disabled access information about the ophthalmology department at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston please see our AccessAble accessibility guide.
Grantham
The newly refurbished department at Grantham hospital is a major improvement and includes both full clinics and theatres. The department provides 16 – 18 clinics per week and three and a half theatre lists per week for those patients who require local ophthalmology services for conditions such as cataracts and glaucoma. They also paediatric ophthalmology services.
In the near future, the department is hoping to start doing general anaesthetics for eye operations meaning that patients won’t have to travel to Lincoln or Boston.
The Grantham department also has a dedicated Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO), Sharon Jacklin, who can provide advice and support for anyone affected by sight loss on topics that can make life easier:
- maintaining your independence
- equipment and technology that can help you do the things you need to do
- eye condition and treatment understanding
- access to education, employment, and leisure
- benefits and concessions that you may be entitled to
Sharon can be contacted on 07783 659438 or email Sharon.Jacklin2@ULH.nhs.uk. For more information on RNIB’s Sight Loss Advice Service visit www.rnib.org.uk/advice
For disabled access information about this department, please see our AccessAble accessibility guide.