Planning green light for £1.7m state-of-the-art eye clinic in Banbridge, creating 15 jobs

The specialist eye clinic which plans to combine two units at the premier designer outlet, will create 15 new jobs for the area and operate as a cross border service between northern and southern Ireland, through the EU Cross-Border Healthcare Directive.

The facility, which will also act as a national and international ‘centre of excellence’ for training clinicians, will provide a complementary service to the NHS, designed to reduce waiting lists, as well as private insurance and self-pay patients.

Established in 2018, Solasta Healthcare originated through the need for an independent sector provider to offer a complementary service to the NHS in the field of ophthalmology.

Retail director at The Boulevard, Chris Nelmes, said: “We are delighted that Solasta Healthcare has chosen to open its top of the range eye clinic at The Boulevard. We see ourselves as more than a retail outlet, but rather hugely invested in the community around us and offering this service with the NHS support onsite, will be extremely beneficial for those who need it.”

Director at Solasta Healthcare, Dermot Carlin, explained: “The growing demands of an ageing population, associated visual impairment disease and the pressures on the NHS have provided an obvious opportunity to create this Ophthalmic Centre of Excellence in Northern Ireland.

“Having explored different options for our clinic location, The Boulevard ticked all the right boxes. We needed to be extra vigilant regarding accessibility due to the type of treatment people will be receiving and with The Boulevard being a pedestrian area, all on one level with dedicated car parking, it was the perfect fit and we are delighted to have been granted full planning permission for the clinic.”

Due to open later this year, the centre is intended to attract world-class ophthalmologists, be a centre for national and international training of clinicians and will be recognised as a centre of innovation in the development of new technologies vital in areas of ophthalmology.

The new centre will provide private screening, investigations and interventions for patients with cataracts and will be complementary to the existing NHS services. The building itself will boast two operating theatres, a separate waiting area, screening area, refraction room and numerous consultations rooms.