Ophthalmology

The Victoria Eye Unit at The County Hospital provides a comprehensive range of ophthalmic services, covering all aspects of general ophthalmology including cataract surgery.

There are specialist clinics for:

• Glaucoma
• Retinal and Macular disorders, including Vitreoretinal surgery  
• Squint (in both adults and children)
• Paediatric ophthalmology
• Thyroid eye disease
• Eyelid disorders

The department is extremely well equipped, with digital photographic and laser imaging equipment which is networked throughout the hospital.  

Eye Unit – Emergencies

In order to make sure you see the correct person in a timely manner, if you have an urgent problem with their eye please follow the guidance below:

Monday - Saturday 09:00 – 17:00

Call an Optometrist listed below stating you need a CUES or WECS appointment and the reason why. There are a lot of appointments available however, availability will vary from practice to practice and day to day. You may need to call more than one practice to get an appointment.

Outside these times:

If you feel your eye condition cannot wait please present to the Emergency Department at Hereford County Hospital.

COVID-19 Urgent Eyecare Services (CUES) 

Herefordshire and Worcestershire (England)

Actons Opticians
10 Corn Market
Worcester
Worcestershire
WR1 2DR
Tel no: 01905 22156

Andrew Jelley Opticians
18 Teme Street
Tenbury Wells
Worcestershire
WR15 8BA
Tel. no: 01584 811445

BBR Optometry
Marbury House
38 St Owen Street
Hereford
Herefordshire
HR1 2PR
Tel. no:  01432 265030

Boots Optician
52 St Andrews Square
Droitwich Spa
Worcestershire
WR9 8HE
Tel. no: 01905 774661

Edmund Proctor Associates
Coppice Gate
Tanners Hill       
Bewdley
Worcestershire
DY12 2LP
Tel. no: 07701281081

Eye Opticians
28 Hewell Road
Barnt Green
Birmingham
B45 8NE
Tel. no:  0121 445 4545

Eyecare Opticians Parkside
BHI Parkside
Stourbridge Road
Bromsgrove
Worcestershire
B61 0AZ
Tel. no: 01527 888599

Eyedeals Direct
46 High Street
Bromsgrove
Worcestershire
B61 8HQ
Tel. no: 01527 579777

Geoffrey Roberts Optometrist
38 St Johns
Worcester
Worcestershire
WR2 5AJ
Tel. no: 01905 423217

Hagley Eyecare Studio
41 The Old Wood Yard
Hagley
Worcestershire
DY9 9LQ
Tel. no: 01562 887138

Holland Opticians
16 Graham Road
Malvern
Worcestershire
WR14 2HL
Tel. 01684 573942

James Osbourne Optometrists
1-3 Swan Lane
Evesham
Worcestershire
WR11 4PA
Tel. no: 01386 47997

John & Diane Miller
Chartwell House
38 Church Street
Malvern
Worcestershire
WR14 2AZ
Tel. no: 01684 564766

John & Diane Miller
27 High Street
Ledbury
Herefordshire
HR8 1DS
Tel. no: 01531 632290/07807 824623

PJ Health
Domiciliary Service
Tel. no: 07807 824623

Pershore Eyecare Centre
16 Bridge Street
Pershore
Worcestershire
WR10 1AT
Tel. no: 01386 555675

Peter Meredith Optometrist
1 Black Swan Walk
Leominster
Herefordshire
HR6 8HU
Tel. no:  01568 616332

Peter Smith Opticans
14 High Street
Pershore
Worcestershire
WR10 1BG
Tel. no: 01386 553922

Phillip Crawford Opticians
8 Oxford Street
Kidderminster
Worcestershire
DY10 1BB
Tel. no: 01562 822577

Scotts Opticians
Ross Community Hospital
Alton Street
Ross on Wye
Herefordshire
HR9 5AD
Tel. no: 01989 567244 

Scotts Opticians
16 High Street
Kington
Herefordshire
HR5 3AX
Tel. no: 01544 231330

Specsavers Opticians
Sainsbury’s
2 Carpet Trades Way
Kidderminster
Worcestershire
DY11
Tel. no: 01562 754241

Specsavers Opticians
9-13 Pump Street
Worcester
Worcestershire
WR1 2QX
Tel. no:  01905 729779

Specsavers Opticians
Malvern Retail Park
Unit 13
Roman Way
Malvern
Worcestershire
WR14 1PZ
Tel. no: 01684 567465

Specsavers Opticians
10 St Andrews Square
Droitwich
Worcestershire
WR9 8HE
Tel. no: 01905 7090660

Specsavers Opticians
12 Maylord Street
Hereford
Herefordshire
HR1 2DS
Tel. no:  01432 353464

Specsavers Opticians
13 Gloucester Road
Ross on Wye
Herefordshire
HR9 5BU
Tel. no: 01989 564460

Specsavers Opticians
25 West Street
Leominster
Herefordshire
HR6 8EP
Tel. no: 01568 619340

Specsavers Opticians
3 The Homend
Ledbury
Herefordshire
HR8 1BN
Tel. no: 01531 633384

Specsavers Opticians
45 High Street
Stourport on Seven
Worcestershire
DY13 8BX
Tel. no: 01299 877999

Specsavers Opticians
33 Bull Ring
Ludlow
Shropshire
SY8 1AA
Tel. no:  01584 871210

Specsavers Opticians
2 Coventry Street
Swan Centre
Kidderminster
Worcestershire
DY10 2DG
Tel. no: 01562 823552

Specsavers Opticians
Unit 14 New Walk
Kingfisher Shopping Centre
Redditch
Worcestershire
B97 4YP
Tel. no: 01527 595558

Specsavers Opticians
131 High Street
Bromsgrove
Worcestershire
B61 8AE
Tel. no:  01527 579815

Vision Express
7/8 High Street
Hereford
Herefordshire
HR4 9AA
Tel. no: 01432 342433

Waller and Waller
Lambert House
Edith Walk
Malvern
Worcestershire
WR14 4QH
Tel. no: 01684 892727

Welsh Eye Care Services (WECS) - Wales

Crickhowell Optometrists   
17 High Street
Crickhowell
Powys
NP8 1BD                             
01873 811887

David R Jenkins Optometrists   
17 Station Road Ystradgynlais
Swansea
Powys
SA9 1NT         
01639 843627

Evans & Jones Opticians   
14 Broad Street Knighton Powys LD7 1BL                                                                   01547 528656

Evans & Jones Opticians   
34 Broad Street
Newtown
Powys
SY16 2BQ                                                                
01686 626427

Evans & Jones Opticians   
Middleton Street
Llandrindod Wells
Powys
LD1 5ET                                                  
01597 822143

First Optic  
19 Bethel Square Brecon Powys LD3 7JP                                                                            01874 610256

Jackson & Gill Opticians  
Backfold Castle Street Hay on Wye
HR3 5EQ                                                              
01497 821260

Jonathan Partridge Optometrists Ltd   
21 Church Street
Welshpool Powys SY21 7DP                                          
01938 553180

Mehta Opticians
1 High Street
Welshpool Powys SY21 7JF                                                                           
01938 552336

Mehta Opticians   
10 Shortbridge Street
Newtown Powys SY16 2LW                                                               
01686 626897

Probert & Williams Eyecare  
21 Pentrehedyn Street
Machynlleth Powys
SY20 8DG
01654 702181

SG Marshall  
23 High Street Builth Wells
Powys LD2 3DL                                                                       
01982 552801

SG Marshall  
Cavendish House Middleton Street
Llandrindod Wells
Powys
LD1 5DG                                   
01597 823400

Specsavers Brecon
25 High Street Brecon
Powys
LD3 7LA                                                                               
01874 614000

Specsavers Newtown
48 Broad Street
Newtown Powys
SY16 2AU                                                                       
01686 610600

Specsavers Opticians
Welshpool Unit 2b Mill Lane Retail Park
Welshpool
Powys
SY21 7BL                             
01938 553901

Vision Express Brecon
52 High Street
Brecon
Powys
LD3 7AP                                                                             
01874 622565

Ophthalmic Operating Theatre

The Eye unit has a dedicated ophthalmic operating theatre where a large variety of surgery is performed, including most commonly, day case cataract surgery is performed using small-incision phacoemulsification, usually under local anaesthetic.

We have recently established a new referral scheme which allows Optometrists to refer patients with cataract directly to the Eye Unit. We also support operating facilities in Llandrindod and Brecon.

Our Patients

We serve not only the population of Herefordshire, but also parts of many surrounding counties in both England and Wales. Peripheral eye clinics are held in Bromyard, Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye, Ludlow, Leominster, Kington, Knighton, Monmouth, Brecon and Llandrindod Wells.

Outline of the Department

Seven consultant ophthalmic surgeons are supported by four middle-grade and four junior ophthalmologists and a team of specialist nurses.

There is a fully staffed Orthoptic Department that offers ocular motility assessments of adults and children in the County Hospital and our community hospitals.  The Orthoptic service also offers primary vision screening for reception aged children in Herefordshire and a pre-school screening service, for children and babies suspected of having a vision or ocular motility problem.

Specialist technical staff are also involved in digital imaging, assessment and analysis of the results, and visual field assessment.

Each year more than 30,000 patients visit the Eye Unit and over 1900 ophthalmic operations are carried out.

Links with other departments

We have close links with the Children's Unit to provide a comprehensive paediatric ophthalmology service. When necessary, we also liaise closely with the general physicians, and the Maxillo-Facial department.

Links with other services

• • We enjoy close support from Herefordshire Vision Links, our local vision impairment organisation. We have an ECLO (Eye Care Liason Officer – Mrs Jenni Moorhouse) to support patients with serious sight loss.
  • The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Diabetic Eye Screening Programme http://diabeticeye.screening.nhs.uk/worcestershire sends referrals to one of our consultants, Mr Alaric Smith, linking closely with our services and providing screening in the community and in the hospital for those that cannot attend a community clinic.
  • We also have close links with All Wales Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme http://www.cardiffandvaleuhb.wales.nhs.uk/drssw   
  • We also have close links with All Wales Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme. 
  • Low Vision Scheme Provision of low vision advice and magnifying aids for the visually impaired.  This works in conjunction with Herefordshire Vision Links https://www.visionlinks.co.uk/ our local vision impairment organisation and the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford http://www.rncb.ac.uk/
  • We have excellent Optometry links (Opticians) in the community in Herefordshire and surrounding counties especially Powys, Shropshire, Gwent and Worcestershire
  • We have established innovative pathways of care with our Optometry colleagues and the recently formed Herefordshire Clinical Commisioning Group these include:
  • PEARS – Primary Eyecare Acute Referral Scheme Patients can be seen by their optometrist/Optician and may avoid the need to attend the A+E department.
  • HOLOMS – Herefordshire Optometry Led Ocular Hypertension Management Scheme Patients with Ocular Hypertension and Early Glaucoma can be seen in the community, avoiding the need for review in Hospital, in a new shared care arrangement.
  • GEPRRS – Glaucoma Early Primary Care Referral Refinement Scheme Patients with possible glaucoma are seen and have agreed diagnostic tests with their Optometrist, to avoid unnecessary referrals and patient anxiety.
  • Cataract Referral Scheme Patients with cataract are seen by Optometrists and referred according to local referral criteria
  • Cataract Postoperative Review Scheme Patients are seen by local Optometrists 4 weeks after cataract surgery and a report returned to ourselves. This avoids the need to attend the hospital giving patients local community care and allows us to place patients back on the list for the second eye operation in routine cases without further delays
  • Optometric led Paediatric Refractive Assessment Children suspected of an eye turn or reduced vision (lazy eye) can be assessed in the community reducing the need for hospital appointments
  • Fast Track Macular Referral Scheme Patients seen by the Optometrist with ‘wet macula’ (AMD) can be referred urgently by FAX for diagnosis and treatment, avoiding delays.
  • We are currently developing further community based patient care pathways, particularly for Glaucoma and Cataract, to reduce the numbers needing to come into the Main Hospital Department.

Charitable donations

The Eye Unit has a very active charitable fund. This was started as a League of Friends 30 years ago by Mr and Mrs Peebles for the then Victoria Eye Hospital, and very ably continued by the late Mr Bill Foster who raised with his team over £300,000 in 17 years of activity. That continues, with support from all over the county, making our department the envy of many others in the hospital and further afield. The patients benefit directly from the very high quality and modern equipment available in the unit.