The Lions Eye Institute (LEI) is joining forces with local MP and Minister for Indigenous Australians Mr Ken Wyatt to advocate for a new $16 million community-based Midland Eye Clinic to better serve patients in Perth’s eastern corridor and reduce strain on the public system.
Wyatt, the Member for Hasluck, used a recent visit to the LEI to reiterate his support for the project that would provide Medicare-funded services.
It comes after LEI recently lodging proposals with state and federal governments to support the state-of-the-art, specialist eye health clinic that it believes will plug a significant gap in eyecare services in the eastern and north eastern metropolitan, Wheatbelt and Goldfields areas.
It would sit alongside an existing private eye clinic in Midland that LEI has operated since 2016. That facility, led by Dr Hessom Razavi, is about to relocate to the historic Midland Railway Workshops precinct, within the Midland Specialist Centre and Day Surgery building at 81 Yelverton Drive.
The second eye clinic proposed for Midland would effectively enable access to public services for more than 8,000 patients per year. Currently, the only public eye clinics are located in the west at Royal Perth, Sir Charles Gairdner and Fremantle hospitals, considered lower disease prevalence zones.
The median ophthalmology wait time at the three public clinics is 197 days, compared with wait times for other important treatments like cardiology (105 days), oncology (89 days) and renal services (151 days), LEI said.
Wyatt, who has launched a petition with more than 880 signatures for the project, said a quarter of WA public eye patients lived in the Midland region but the closest public eye clinics are Perth or Fremantle. The average waiting time for an appointment is more than six months.
“A new Lions Eye Institute Midland Eye Clinic will deliver regular eye check-ups and also treat chronic conditions like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration- three conditions causing 75% of all blindness,” Wyatt said.
LEI stated the proposed development would cost $16 million to cover the building acquisition, fit-out, project management, equipment and start up.
The clinic would feature an innovative co-management model thanks to a partnership between the LEI and the University of Western Australia’s new optometry school. It will provide placements for optometric and ophthalmology (doctors in training) students to assist in training the next generation of eyecare professionals.
This will see optometrists triage patients with early signs of eye disease, referring them to an on-site ophthalmologist where relevant. LEI believes this will result in optimal efficiency, accessibility and affordability, with services paid for through the Medicare Benefit Scheme. Such models have been proven in the UK, Europe, New Zealand and New South Wales, with co-managed clinics reporting significant reductions in waiting times and costs.
Publicly listed surgery would occur at St John of God Midland Public Hospital.
According to LEI, in Midland and the surrounding area, the ratio of ophthalmologists per resident is close to 1:85,000 people, and in the combined Midland/Wheatbelt/Goldfields region, it is 1:116,000. This is significantly higher than RANZCO-recommended 1:28,000 people.
LEI’s modelling shows the immediate Midland catchment for health services (as defined by the WA Department of Health) extends well into the Wheatbelt, and is home to around 320,000 people. However, a new eye health clinic in Midland would potentially drain a larger geographical area, approaching 435,000 people.
It’s hoped the clinic would also contribute to Closing the Gap initiatives because Midland is home to 30% of WA’s metropolitan Indigenous people, representing 11% of the total number of Indigenous people in the state.
Benefits of the Midland Eye Clinic – at a glance
- Additional 18,672 eye health services provided with no service expansion cost to the state.
- Reduced demand on public eye health clinics with the potential to significantly reduce over-boundary appointments and long wait times.
- Patients will have earlier treatment and better outcomes, reducing the need for later tertiary level care and other longer-term associated health costs.
- Optimal use of Medicare, administered through a not-for-profit organisation.
- Contribution to reducing the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health.
- Development of a skilled workforce, with qualified ophthalmologists, registrars and optometrists part of the teaching process to build capacity in Australia’s health workforce.
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