Emergency eye unit should be kept in city
AT THE end of the year the Royal Eye Infirmary will close and the department will relocate to Derriford. This will be the eighth and final hospital from the original health service to close.
Some will say they will still have an eye department at Derriford, yet the present casualty department at the Eye Infirmary is in the centre of Plymouth and the new one will be three miles away on the outskirts.
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NEW BASE: Staff from the Royal Eye Infirmary gather to have a farewell photo taken before their move to Derriford
Most people who have an eye mishap have only a short distance to travel to the existing infirmary casualty department and, if it is a minor injury, can be treated promptly.
Once the infirmary has relocated to Derriford it will mean the patient with an eye mishap is bound to experience having the problem longer, solely because it will take longer to get to Derriford Hospital.
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I wrote to the Secretary of State for Health and stated there should be an additional eye clinic in Plymouth as well as Derriford. He replied saying the local trust who are coordinating the move of the eye infirmary to Derriford, "have taken into account the transport facilities after full consultation and are happy with the transport arrangements when the hospital moves to Derriford".
Yet there is no public transport from or to Derriford after 8pm, so if you don't have your own transport and need a taxi, it will cost you £8 to get to Derriford.
So, even a minor eye injury, which could soon be sorted at the casualty department, could cost you £16 for a taxi each way. The cost alone is one reason I think an additional eye casualty clinic should remain in Plymouth.
I am aware that eye infirmary surgeons are in desperate need of more operating theatres. Yet it would be ironic that the eye hospital at Derriford has a fine up-to-date surgical facility unit, yet at the same time an outstanding eye injury department, which had provided excellent treatment in the centre of Plymouth for 100 years, is now to be several miles from the present clinic.
The Royal Eye Infirmary building is a listed protected institution and therefore cannot be demolished. It would be good if a small department could be kept there as an emergency department.
If anyone agrees there should still be an emergency eye clinic in the centre of Plymouth, even when the Eye Infirmary has moved to Derriford, write to Patient Advice and Liaison Service, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, PL6 8DH or telephone 0845 155 8123.
ERIC JOHNS
Stoke
Comments
by ralphlauren
Thursday, November 08 2012, 4:04PM
“And what's going to happen to this fantastic piece of Victorian period architecture??
It's going to accommodate yet more STUDENTS...!!!! A lovely example of a quality Victorian building in the city yet again being invaded by a group of individuals that couldn't care less about the splendour of such a historic building.
Maybe one day they will rebuild the old church on Charles Cross roundabout and put students in there too. In fact why doesn't everybody that isn't connected to Plymouth University just move out of the city and stop delaying their obsession with total domination of the area. Most have anyway. Including myself and my family.”
by whinger7643
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 2:45PM
“The loss of another well functioning NHS gem into the confused administration of derriford.”
by fiest1406
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 11:39AM
“Plymouth has lost Devonport, RNH, Freedom Fields, Greenbank, MountGould (orthopaedics) & Plympton Hospitals, now the Royal Eye Infirmary. At the same time closing wards and hundreds of beds at Derriford...What happened to the millions gained from the disposals and what about the impact for the future of Plymouth with an ever growing population. Common sense tells me a diverse geographical service provides; one a better service at the same releaving pressures on the A386 infrastructure, travel and parking which is at breaking point.
This is sheer madness and bad management....with a city shortly to extend further east with Sherford; health care is going to suffer as with response times....What is clear is Derriford cannot cope now i have always failed to see how you can provide adequate provision when reducing services at the same time PCC's vision is to expand the population to 300k building masses of new houses, one might add with out jobs, with general services such as health care is in affect being withdrawn. This pressure will bring Hospital care to breaking point.”
by knucklehead
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 11:19AM
“If you are in need of emergency treatment Eric would you not call an ambulance or taxi?”
by StuartHarvie
Wednesday, October 03 2012, 9:06AM
“That whole artical was a waste of time. I live in belliver which is in the north of Plymouth and I'd I needed to go to the REI it would take me over an hour to get there now it's moving to derriford it will take me less then 15mins, Eric if you think about it the north of Plymouth have spent the last 100 years traveling an hour to get there, I think it's time for south and west of Plymouth to spend an hour traveling there.
I will write to PALS tho to congratulate them on securing the move.
Also no busses after 8pm is complete rubbish, they are still running up and past midnight and they start again between 0430-0530. If you have a serious injury to your eye you shouldn't be driving anyway if you did you would be a danger not only to your self but to other motorist, call an ambulance like a normal person would.
I never comment on here but I had to today because this letter is complete rubbish and I strongly feel it shouldn't of been published, the information is incorrect.
Stuart Harvie
Belliver”
by mediclad
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 10:24PM
“No buses after 8pm to Derriford???!!!!!! I'm afraid you are wrong there Eric, from the City Centre you can take an 83, 84 or 86 provided by Firstbus, or there is the 28, 29, 34, 42, 50 provided by Plymouth Citybus all of which provide a service after 8pm.”
by cornflwr
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 6:00PM
“The eye infirmary provides a fantastic service regardless of where their location is, parking at derriford is a nightmare now let alone when another hospital is re-located there but the fact is it will be moving no matter how many people complain and where they are now is a lovely building that just needs some tlc, its a pity its already been sold.”
by fancyabrew
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 4:45PM
“the transport links to Derriford are FAR better than the transport links to the current site so I don't really "see" your point Eric”
by knucklehead
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 4:42PM
“5 minutes more to Derriford or perhaps faster if you live close to Derriford.... I was in the REI last year and it's falling apart ----------------Moan moan moan”
by cornflwr
Tuesday, October 02 2012, 2:38PM
“There hasn't been a eye casualty open after 7pm for nearly a year at this location, only an on call service which is covered by qualified staff which provides emergency cover where patients who need to be seen are then seen at derriford by the on call doctor from the eye infirmary”