About our service
We provide ophthalmology inpatient and outpatient services for patients with eye conditions across County Durham and Darlington. We provide a range of consultant and nurse led services, such as nurse led minor operations (cyst removal), as well as providing orthoptist and optician services across our main sites, with orthoptist services at Shotley Bridge and Chester-Le-Street hospitals.
Screening for Retinopathy of Premature babies is performed by members of the team of consultants at University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital.
The department has a well-established Wet AMD treatment service with Lucentis injections at Darlington Memorial Hospital. Laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy is available at all three main sites. The department also acts as a resource for those seeking support from Action for the Blind.
How to access our services
Inpatient care for emergency treatments and elective surgery is based at Darlington Memorial Hospital. Patients requiring ophthalmic surgery are treated on a day case basis at Darlington Memorial Hospital within the day surgery unit and at Bishop Auckland Hospital in the new Cataract Centre. Outpatient clinics are held at Darlington Memorial Hospital Bishop Auckland Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham.