CHEC, a healthcare provider delivering specialist ophthalmology services in partnership with the NHS, has completed the roll out of its community-based clinic provision with the opening of a fourth facility in Kegworth

Since opening its doors in 2022, CHEC Nottingham has been undertaking a project to open ‘spoke’ clinics across the region. Spokes act as extensions of the hospital’s ophthalmology offering, available in community settings including GP practices.

CHEC says this unique operating model increases equity of access to specialist healthcare for people who struggle to travel to the hospital site, and relieves local waiting lists for outpatient, elective and diagnostic services.

CHEC Nottingham’s fourth spoke has now opened at Rosemary Street Health Centre in Mansfield, completing the roll out. Clinics are also available at The Surgery in Ashbourne, Ivy Grove Surgery in Ripley, and Orchard Surgery in Kegworth.

Paul Briddon, Hospital Manager for CHEC Nottingham said: “Since opening our doors, CHEC Nottingham has consulted more than 49,500 patients and carried out over 8,000cataract surgeries, but we know not everybody feels able to visit the hospital. This could be due to transport or mobility issues, time constraints with work, or simply the need to feel comfortable in more familiar surroundings.

“That’s why our community clinics – or our ‘spokes’ – are so important. They break down barriers and make it easier than ever for us to complete the healthcare journeys our patients are taking, speeding up the process and unlocking extra resource in local NHS services, too. Now we have four community clinics up and running, we look forward to seeing the invaluable difference we can make in the region.”

In 2023/24, CHEC treated more than 372,000 ophthalmology patients with an average wait time of less than four weeks. CHEC hospitals span the country’s major towns and cities, and each hospital is supported by a minimum of three community clinics, placed in more remote locations, in line with where patients say access to NHS treatment is particularly challenging.

To learn more about accessing the ophthalmology treatments CHEC provides in partnership with the NHS, please visit www.chec.uk