Advanced lenses for NHS cataract patients

Private provider CHEC is to offer extended depth of focus (EDoF) monofocal lenses to post-cataract surgery patients when it delivers NHS services.

Currently, anyone wanting these lenses has to pay for private care. They promise better intermediate and near vision, so patients won’t need spectacles for close up work. 

CHEC will launch EDoF lenses across its north of England hospitals, but plans to expand across all sites before the end of the year. 

Mahmoud Rabie, clinical director for ophthalmology, said: “During typical cataract surgery, the natural lens is replaced with a monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) – a good solution for providing uncorrected distance visual acuity. 

“However, this still leaves patients reliant on glasses for tasks involving intermediate and near vision, such as working on a computer. Multifocal IOLs address these limitations, but have other drawbacks, such as visual disturbances including glare, halos, and reduced contrast sensitivity.

“There has been growing demand for a lens that can do more, and extended monofocal lenses have surfaced as the groundbreaking innovation to solve the problem. The benefits they offer to patients are undeniable and we want to make them as accessible as possible. 

“By adopting this advanced technology and offering it to patients who’ve been referred to CHEC, we’ll aim to deliver an elevated level of operational and clinical excellence.”

• CHEC has treated NHS patients for over a decade and runs more than 20 hospitals around the country.