The CHEC Leicester hospital opened in 2022 and has since been undertaking a project to open ‘spoke’ clinics across the region. Spokes act as extensions of the hospital’s ophthalmology offering, available in community settings including GP practices. This unique operating model increases equity of access to specialist healthcare for people who struggle to travel to the hospital site, and relieves local waiting lists for outpatient, elective and diagnostic services.

The fourth CHEC spoke in Leicester has now opened at The Uppingham Surgery, North Gate, Uppingham, completing the roll out. Earlier this year, clinics also became available at Heath Lane Surgery in Earl Shilton, Two Shires Medical Centre in Market Harborough, and Long Lane Surgery in Coalville. 

Bhavin Vadhia, Hospital Manager for CHEC Leicester, which is based in the city centre on St Matthews Way, said: “Since opening our doors in March 2022, CHEC Leicester has consulted more than 9,000 patients and carried out over 4,300 cataract surgeries, but we know not everybody feels able to visit the hospital. This could be due to transport or mobility issues, time constraints with work, or simply the need to feel comfortable in more familiar surroundings. 

“That’s why our community clinics – or our ‘spokes’ – are so important. They break down barriers and make it easier than ever for us to complete the healthcare journeys our patients are taking, speeding up the process and unlocking extra resource in local NHS services, too.

Now we have four community clinics up and running across Leicester, we look forward to seeing the invaluable difference we can make in the region.”

In 2023/24, CHEC treated more than 372,000 ophthalmology patients with an average wait time of less than four weeks. CHEC hospitals span the country’s major towns and cities, and each hospital is supported by a minimum of three community clinics, placed in more remote locations, in line with where patients say access to NHS treatment is particularly challenging.