Newmedica opens fourth clinic

The fourth Newmedica eye health clinic and surgical centre has been officially opened at St Martins House Medical Centre by the lord mayor of Leeds as part of a gradual national rollout.

Councillor Jane Dowson declared the clinic open on 17 May. It will provide NHS and private ophthalmology services, including cataracts surgery and glaucoma treatment.

Managing director of Newmedica, Darshak Shah, said: “The opening of the clinic in Leeds is an important stepping stone to a gradual national rollout of ophthalmology partnerships, working in conjunction with optometrists to deliver exceptional, accessible and cost-effective services to NHS and private patients.”

The clinic will accept ophthalmology referrals from all local optometrists and GPs, in line with the post-cataract framework for community optometrists as agreed by Newmedica and the Local Optical Community Support Unit in April. Under the agreement, patients will return to their local optometrist for aftercare.

Newmedica has also opened eye health clinics and surgical centres in north east Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire and Bristol over the last 12 months. 

Each clinic has been set up as an ophthalmology joint venture partnership, led by one or more consultant ophthalmologists as clinical directors and by an operational director.

Newmedica Leeds is led by clinical director, Aldrin Khan, and operational director, Jennifer Lindsay.

Speaking about the opening of the clinic, Mr Khan said that he is delighted to be able to offer patients in the area a high quality and accessible NHS service that is complemented by an “exceptionally good value” private cataracts surgery service.

“Our mission is to make eye care better for patients, better for the NHS and those that fund it, and better for our communities,” Mr Khan explained.

Mr Khan has worked as an ophthalmologist in the north east and Yorkshire for almost 10 years and was appointed as a consultant in York in 2009, specialising in glaucoma.

Ms Lindsay has 25 years of leadership experience in healthcare, including secondary care roles in NHS and private hospitals.

Pictured from left to right is the Newmedica Leeds team: Louise Brown, Aldrin Khan, Joanne Hough, Jennifer Lindsay, councillor Jane Dowson and Noel Staunton.