People with failing eyesight can now be treated close to home thanks to better services and a refurbishment project at Airedale Hospital.

Those patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which sometimes causes blindness, can now be treated on site without having to travel to Bradford or Leeds.

The refurbished suite within outpatients, formerly used by neurophysiology, can now host macular clinics alongside clinics for other common eye conditions such as diabetic retinal screening (DRS), cataracts and glaucoma. It includes two treatment areas, a recovery area and eye testing equipment. The plan is to expand to other ophthalmology services and treatments in the future.

Brenda Emsley, outpatient sister at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Local people with age-related macular degeneration need to visit clinics regularly for treatment and now we have the facilities to care for them closer to their homes, which is particularly useful with a growing ageing population.”

The trust’s ophthalmology service is provided by jointly appointed and visiting consultants from Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust (BTHFT).

It has been estimated that there are around 160 patients on the Bradford Macular Service Database with an Airedale catchment postcode.