A WARD at Bishop Auckland Hospital is reopening as an eye care unit for patients across County Durham.

The unit will have its own operating theatre so that cataract surgery can take place at the hospital for the first time.

It will be housed in the old Ward 9, which was a general surgical ward until it was shut because an increase in day case surgery meant that fewer patients needed to stay overnight.

Jim Haslam, lead consultant surgeon for ophthalmology for the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, Jim Haslam said: "Bishop Auckland Hospital will be the Trust’s main centre for eye surgery for patients from across County Durham.

"Cataract surgery has never been carried out at Bishop Auckland, and the team is looking forward to offering what will be a brand new service for the hospital.

"We will continue to offer eye tests and eye clinics in Durham and Darlington on an outpatient basis.

"The Trust's ophthalmology service has traditionally served Darlington and the South of Durham. However, we believe that, by moving our eye surgery to Bishop Auckland we can attract more patients from the north of the county and develop one of the best eye units in the North East."

The unit will offer a full range of ophthalmology outpatient services, pre operative assessment, retinal screening, laser treatments for diabetic eye disease, fields tests, post-operative checks and a range of other eye operations that can be performed under local anaesthetic.

The department will also have its own dedicated day case unit for ophthalmology patients.

Stephen Eames, Chief Executive of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said: "The development of a brand new centre of excellence for eye surgery is evidence of our commitment to Bishop Auckland Hospital, and the central role it will continue to play in our plans for the future."