Allen Gent, 76, was the first patient at Newmedica’s clinic in Darlington, which opened earlier this year.
The clinic offers cataract pre-assessment appointments for NHS patients, with surgery conducted at Newmedica’s surgical centre in Middlesbrough.
The Middlesbrough centre was established in 2019 to help reduce NHS waiting times for eye surgery.
In five years, it has performed almost 30,000 surgeries for various eye conditions.Allen Gent (Image: Newmedica)
Mr Gent, who served a 25-year military career in transport, was made aware of his cataracts during a routine eye examination.
Cataracts form when the eye’s lens develops cloudy patches, leading to blurred vision and potential blindness if untreated.
Mr Gent’s deteriorating sight worried him, as he feared it would affect his ability to drive.
He has to renew his driving license every three years due to his age.
Mr Gent said: “My partner and I are not ones for spending our retirement at home, we like to keep active and are out and about most days.
“As my sight began to deteriorate, I found that things looked foggy and I began to worry that I wouldn’t be able to drive for much longer, which would really have impacted our ability to keep up our busy lifestyle.”
He added: “The new clinic in Darlington came at just the right time for me, as when my optician said it was time to refer me for surgery, I avoided a potentially long wait to be assessed by having the opportunity to be referred to Newmedica.
“It only took about three weeks to be seen at the Darlington clinic and then another three weeks to have the first of my eyes treated in Middlesbrough.
“I had a first-class experience and can’t praise the team at Newmedica enough. I was blown away by their care during surgery and afterwards – they even called me the next day to make sure I was ok.
“I have worn glasses for a long time but my sight is so clear and sharp following the surgery, I now only wear glasses for reading and no longer have to worry about not being able to drive because of my sight. It was like being able to see through new eyes.”
Mr Qasim Mansoor, consultant ophthalmologist and clinical partner for Newmedica Middlesbrough and Darlington, said: “Over the past five years our goal has been to help reduce waiting lists and deliver exceptional eye care to the areas we serve.
“Opening our new clinic in Darlington is helping us to continue to support the community alongside our surgical centre in Middlesbrough.
“His story illustrates exactly why it’s so important to have treatment for cataracts or he would likely have had to have give up driving, which would have had a huge impact on being able to enjoy his retirement.”
Newmedica Middlesbrough and Darlington is led by Mr Mansoor, consultant ophthalmologist Mr Philip Severn, and operational director Annette Johnson.
As well as cataract treatment, Newmedica Middlesbrough offers treatment for glaucoma, oculoplastic procedures, age-related macular degeneration, and vitreoretinal surgery to NHS and private patients.