Skip to main content

Eye Department (Ophthalmology)

The Department of Ophthalmology is a large multi-disciplinary department providing comprehensive ophthalmology care for the Coventry and Warwickshire, a population of approximately 700,000 people.

The department provides outpatients and surgical services. The outpatient throughput is approximately 80,000 patients per year. Subspecialist eye surgery for more complex conditions is undertaken in Coventry, and day case cataract surgery is undertaken across all sites. The departmental surgical throughput is over 5,000 surgical procedures per annum.

For information on the Eye Emergency Referral Service, click here.
 

The Ophthalmology team of 150 staff comprises Consultants and Associate Specialists, Staff Grades, Specialist Registrars, Senior House Officers and Junior Fellows, Orthoptists, Optometrists, with a dispensing Optician, and dedicated clinical nurses, together with secretarial and administrative support. The ophthalmology department undertakes a comprehensive teaching and training programme that has been praised by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Regular departmental meetings are held to discuss issues relating to clinical care, audit, clinical governance and evidence based practice.

The eye unit in Coventry comprises a modern outpatients department, dedicated eye ward and dedicated ophthalmology operating theatres supported by the latest equipment to deliver safe and effective surgery. These theatres are staffed by teams of dedicated, fully trained ophthalmic nurses and are available constantly for eye emergencies.

The department runs an efficient and modern Cataract service in Coventry, Rugby and Nuneaton. The care pathway provides multidisciplinary input in the management of patients with cataracts, and relies on the expertise of numerous professional groups. Waiting times are minimal and referrals are accepted from GPs and directly from Optometrists.

Routine referrals, including named referrals to individual Consultants, should be sent direct to the Booking Centre, 2nd Floor, Clinical Sciences Building.

Cataract patient referrals are pooled and should be referred directly to the Cataract service, not to individual Consultants, and sent direct to the Booking centre as above.

Requirements for urgent consultations/advice should be directed to the staff in the Eye Casualty department.

Any urgent communication for individual consultants should be directed to the relevant medical secretary.

The Aim of the Low Vision Clinic (LVA Clinic)

What Will Happen in a LVA Assessment?

Referral to the Clinic

Children’s LVA clinics

Local Contacts

National Contacts

 

The Aim of the Low Vision Clinic (LVA Clinic)

Low vision clinics are held at University Hospital Coventry and Hospital of St Cross, Rugby. This service exists to support patients and help them adapt to their visual impairment.

We cover the areas of Coventry, North Warwickshire (including Nuneaton and Bedworth) and Rugby.

You do not have to be registered Severely Sight Impaired (Blind) or Sight Impaired (Partially Sighted) to be assessed in the clinic.

Only 20 per cent of our patients fall into these two categories. The 80 per cent non-registered patients still have sight problems, struggle with day to day tasks and are entitled to an assessment. 

Our tailored assessments help to discern what everyday tasks patients struggle with and aim to help patients maintain as much independence as possible with the use of low vision aids. These aids can either be glasses, magnifiers or telescopes and we provide these optical aids on extended loan.

We can also demonstrate electronic magnifiers, that are not provided under the NHS, and give advice on their suitability and availability as well as offering advice and information on other resources in the community.

We see patients of all ages, although the majority tend to be elderly. We also run a specialist paediatric clinic for children with visual impairment.

 

What will happen in a LVA assessment?

The initial assessment can take up to one hour. The Optometrist (Optician) will first examine your vision using specialist charts that may differ from those used in the Eye Doctor’s clinic or an Optician’s clinic in private practice. They will then check that your spectacle prescription is up to date. Please note, a change of spectacles may not improve your vision due to the nature of your sight loss. The Optometrist will advise you on this accordingly.

Following these tests, they will then try magnifiers, telescopes and ‘Specialist’ low vision spectacles to make the best use of your vision.

All these devices, collectively known as Optical Low Vision Aids (LVAs), will be issued to you by the NHS, at no charge, on a permanent loan basis (i.e. it remains the property of the hospital and should be returned if not in use).

Each LVA will perform differently and so you may be given more than one to cover a variety of tasks. Prior to your initial assessment, it would be beneficial to think about specific tasks or hobbies that you are have difficulty with due to your eyesight. Bring examples of them along to help us choose the most appropriate LVA.

If you have been referred in directly to the Low Vision Clinic by your GP or social services, you may also need an eye health check. This examination may require dilating drops on the day. 

At the end of the assessment, you will be given the appropriate aids and booked a follow-up appointment, to see how you are getting on, usually six to eight weeks later with the Low Vision Technician or Optometrist.

Contact Details

Low Vision Clinic, Optometry Clinic 9, University Hospital, Clifford Bridge Rd, Coventry, CV2 2DX.

Tel: 02476 966516

 

Referral to the Clinic

If you are currently under the care of an Ophthalmologist (Eye Doctor) at UHCW, George Eliot or Hospital of St Cross, you can ask your Ophthalmologist to refer you to the LVA clinic.

If you have not been seen or are no longer under the care of an Ophthalmologist, simply contact your GP or Local Optometrist in the community to be referred to the LVA clinic. Referrals should be sent to the attention of Adrian Sexton (Low Vision Lead Optometrist) at UHCW.

 

Children’s LVA clinics

Dedicated paediatric low vision clinics are currently only held at UHCW. As with the adult clinic, optical LVAs will be trialled and issued where appropriate. The clinic is jointly led by the children’s sensory support teams of both Coventry and Warwickshire. The child’s Qualified Teacher for the Visually Impaired (QTVI) will be present during the assessment, allowing sharing of information leading to the best overall care for the child and their educational needs.

Please note, these clinics are booked by the sensory support teams, not UHCW NHS Trust.

 

For children educated in Coventry contact:

Sensory Team

Tel: 024 7678 6174

Email: sensorysupportservice@coventry.gov.uk

 

For children educated in Warwickshire, contact:

Sensory Support Team

Warwickshire Vision Support Service

Tel: 024 76364200

Email: fayecommander@warwickshire.gov.uk

 

Local Contacts

Visual and Hearing Impairment Team Coventry City Council

Tel 02476 833003

Email: vhiteam@coventry.gov.uk

 

Warwickshire Vision Support

Tel: 01926 411331

Email: enquiries@warwickshire.vision

 

Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Tel: 02476 717522

Email: admin@crcb.org.uk

 

Coventry Macular Society

Tel: 02476414076

 

Coventry Asian Blind Association

Tel: 02476 445686

Tel: 07359138047

Email: bip.vajah@outlook.com

 

National contacts

NHS national information

In Touch

Weekly radio programme of news, views and information for people with visual impairment.


Meet the team

Latest News

No news stories found.


Back to Departments