The Sheffield Vision Centre became the first centre in South Yorkshire to offer hospital based refractive laser eye surgery to fee paying patients when it moved into a new purpose built clinic a year ago.

Based at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, the centre has treated more than 200 patients - including some from as far afield as Portugal and Spain. In addition, the centre treats a small number of NHS patients who need laser surgery for specific medical conditions.

Demand is high enough to mean the centre has trebled its number of support staff to cope with a 100 per cent increase in year-on-year patient footfall and taken on two new opticians, as it consolidates its position as a shining example for how fee-paying services can play a leading role in the success of NHS hospitals.

Matthew Edwards, consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Sheffield Vision Centre, is an experienced, highly-skilled surgeon who has run the centre for more than five years before moving into the aesthetically-designed new clinic in April 2008.

Click on the green play button to hear our audio interview with Matthew

Matthew said: "In spite of economic conditions, we have had a good first year since moving into our new clinic, proving there is no substitute for quality when it comes to looking after something as precious as your sight.

"We have seen a broad range of patients coming to us, all wanting to overcome their short or long-sightedness and reduce their dependency on glasses or contact lenses.

"We are also pleased that, as a fee paying service based within an NHS hospital, our service benefits the hospital financially, ultimately leading to better patient care for the people of Sheffield."

Charlotte Calvert, aged 35, from Whirlow, Sheffield, is one of the latest patients to have benefitted from the new clinic. An extremely active person, enjoying a variety of sports in between running her own business, Charlotte says her vision is the best it has ever been.

Charlotte said: "I was totally reassured when I met Matthew for the first time and his skill and experience shone through. The fact all my consultations and the procedure itself took pace in an NHS hospital environment gave me confidence that it was safe.

"I also underwent extensive tests to find out if I was suitable for laser vision correction and the procedure would not have been recommended to be had it not been right for me.

"Now I need neither contact lenses nor glasses and my vision is better than it has ever been. I had worn contact lenses and glasses since I was 13 years old, but now I can barely remember the hassle of wearing them for all those years."


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