Retail therapy: tackling waiting lists with a pop-up eye clinic

New research published in BMJ Open has examined the effect of a technician-led eye clinic that was established in Brent Cross shopping centre in 2021.

The clinic was staffed by ophthalmic technicians who performed routine in-person monitoring scans. These scans were then reviewed remotely by specialist clinicians who determined whether to discharge the patient, continue monitoring the patient through the pop-up clinic, or escalate to a face-to-face follow up appointment.

Scientists examined data from 69,257 appointments attended by 39,357 patients with stable glaucoma and medical retina conditions at sites across the Moorfields Eye Hospital network in London between June 2018 and April 2023.

They found that the pop-up clinic significantly reduced attendance delays across the hospital network, addressing the backlog for stable chronic eye disease.

Lead author and UCL health economics research fellow, Siyabonga Ndwandwe, highlighted that community-based, technician-led virtual review clinics could play a significant role in reducing wait times for patients with stable chronic eye conditions.

“This is especially relevant given current NHS challenges, including chronic workforce shortages – particularly among eye specialists – and limited hospital estate capacity,” he said.

Dr Dun Jack Fu, of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, highlighted that the pop-up clinic aligns with government plans to transform the NHS.

“We believe that pop-up virtual eye clinics in locations such as shopping centres could be a game-changer,” he emphasised.