Top doctors have a vision for a new Adelaide eye hospital – and have taken a detailed business case to the State Government
Top ophthalmologists including Australian of the Year Dr James Muecke are spearheading the fight for an Adelaide eye hospital – and explain why it’s urgently needed.
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A business case for a new Adelaide eye hospital has gone to officials calling for a centre of excellence for clinical care, teaching and research in the CBD.
It follows years of proposals for such a centre, starting with plans for one at Modbury Hospital under Labor’s Transforming Health program. That plan was dumped due to transport issues.
Labor then made an election promise for a city eye hospital, which a consultant’s report later priced at $70 million over a decade.
Senior ophthalmologists, lead by Professor Robert Casson and Australian of the Year Dr James Muecke, have continued to fight for the plan as the state’s ageing population faces a surge in problems such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration.
Prof Casson, head of ophthalmology at Adelaide University, said it had been “a drawn-out process”. He was optimistic the new business plan would be well-received by SA Health chiefs and Health and Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wade.
“I think our first meeting on this was with (then health minister) Jack Snelling in February 2015,” Prof Casson said.
“Many cities of a million-plus people have a dedicated eye hospital, as eye health care requires a dedicated facility for the high volume of outpatients and surgery.
“Most serious eye diseases are age-related and as the population ages it is becoming more of an issue.”
The business plan identifies a preferred CBD location, which Prof Casson declined to name publicly as discussions are ongoing with its owners.
He said it would cost about $8 million to fit-out with three surgical theatres and outpatients areas, to replace services at the Royal Adelaide, Queen Elizabeth and possibly Modbury hospitals.
The proposed new centre may also do complex paediatric cases now done at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, while people needing overnight admission would stay at the RAH.
“We have been pushing this for years and I feel confident it will happen in the near future,” Prof Casson said.
Dr Muecke said the planned hospital would provide a centre of ophthalmic clinical excellence for South Australia’s ageing population.
He said it would allow researchers, non-government organisations and industry to co-locate and “bring South Australia to an accepted international standard of care”.
Mr Wade’s office confirmed he had received the plan and that the government “continues to consult and investigate the best long-term strategy for eye services”.