Ophthalmology
Caring for patients with eye conditions or injuries to their eyes.
This page was last updated: January 3rd, 2023
We assess, treat and carry out eye surgery through a consultant-led local eye hospital service at eight locations across Cornwall. We see around 34,000 outpatients each year at our clinics in the Scilly Isles, Penzance, Helston, Falmouth, Truro, Redruth, St. Austell, and Bodmin.
We care for patients with a wide-range of eye conditions such as squints, lazy eye or double vision, help prevent blindness due to diabetes and offer modern treatment for Wet Age-Related Macular degeneration.
Eye emergencies
Our Emergency Eye Service is run by trained nurses and medical staff. All referrals for this service must come via the GP or Optometrists using the Eye Emergency Referral Form. Our ophthalmologists also operate an on-call out-of-hours service and can be contacted through the Hospital Switchboard.
Eye surgery
These are usually carried out in a day and patients do not stay overnight.
Our surgical results are consistently as good as, or better than, national standards in the UK.
Orthoptic department
We assess and can help people who are experiencing double vision using glasses and prisms, including those who have had a stroke.
We specialise in defects of binocular vision and eye movement disorders including nystagmus, and we monitor Glaucoma patients.
We are also specialists in assessing children and adults with learning difficulties.
We also provide the school vision screening for the county. We assess the vision of children aged between 4-5 years old within school.
We provide clinics at the following locations: Royal Cornwall Hospital, West Cornwall Hospital, Camborne/Redruth Hospital, Falmouth Hospital, Bodmin Hospital, St Austell Community Hospital, Helston Hospital, and Newquay Hospital.
To contact us please email rch-tr.RCHTOrthoptic@nhs.net or phone 01872 252272
Cornwall Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service
Referrals to Ophthalmology
Referral for Wet Age-Related macular degeneration
If you would like to refer a patient with suspected Wet Age-related macular degeneration:
- GPs please refer via ERS enclosing an Optometrists report.
- Optometrists please use the DeMac form (direct e-referrals to macular service and email the form to rcht.demac@nhs.net).
Specialty Lead
Fergus Laity
Directions to the Eye Unit
From Tower Block entrance
As you enter the Tower Block, turn left, continue past reception and the friends cafe until the lifts are in front of you. Turn left and the Eye Unit is straight ahead.
From Trelawney Main Entrance
If you enter from the main hospital entrance, go past the cafe (on your right) and WH Smiths (on your left). Head to the end of the corridor and go down the stairs or take the lift to the ground floor. Go left and this will bring you to the Lloyds Pharmacy shop (on your left). Continue along this corridor, right to the end and then turn right to enter the Tower Block. The Eye Unit is on your right, just after the toilet and before you reach Tower reception.
Find out more about coming to the Royal Cornwall Hospital.
