A new eye care clinic has been launched for people in Welshpool.

Eye care patients who need Optical Coherence Tomography scans in North Powys are now able to have them in-county thanks to funding from the North Powys Wellbeing Programme.

Previously, patients in the north of the county had to travel to distinct general hospitals outside the county for access to scanning.

Now, there are facilities in Welshpool and Llanidloes hospitals which offer this facility.

Judith Jamison, senior nurse manager for outpatients development with Powys Teaching Health Board, said: “Traditionally in this part of the county our patients would require onward referral to Shrewsbury or Aberystwyth for this diagnostic scan by the Consultant in Ophthalmology.

“This results in several visits to different hospital sites, possible delay in diagnosis and commencement of treatment regimes.

“The introduction of this facility in county has enabled the provision of one-stop appointments for our patients in North Powys, bringing care closer to home.”

Clair Rea, one of the new staff members joining the health board at Ophthalmic Scientific Practitioner, explained: “If the UK follows the experiences of other Western countries, we expect the demand for eye care services over the next 20 years to increase.

“Demand could go up by 16 percent for conditions such as glaucoma, 47 percent for age related macular degeneration, 50 per cent for conditions such as cataract, and up to 80 percent for diabetic retinopathy.

"So, it’s positive that we can provide this new service. it’s better for patients, is more efficient for the health service and it will help reduce carbon emissions.”

The North Powys Wellbeing Programme’s ambition is to transform health and wellbeing services in this part of the county by financially supporting a range of initiatives across Powys that can make quick improvements.

Carys Williams, Clinical Change Manager with the programme, said: “ We are already seeing the fruits of this current investment.

“Already dozens of patients have had their OCT scans in Llanidloes and Welshpool.

“This is a major part of our vision, to deliver as many services as possible in our hospitals here in north Powys.”