Moorfields Eye Hospital
For over 200 years Moorfields Eye Hospital has been a teaching hospital dedicated to ‘curing diseases of the eye’. We are the oldest and one of the largest centres of ophthalmic treatment, teaching and research in the world.
We are a world leader in higher surgical training to ophthalmologists. We are a place where medical students from top London universities come to learn, and nurses receive comprehensive training for both pre- and post-registration.
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Useful information
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
Our patient advice and liaison service (PALS) team provides confidential advice and support to patients, carers and relatives to resolve concerns about your care and guide you through our services. The team helps solve your problems quickly and passes on comments and suggestions for improving our services.
The team works with staff, managers and where appropriate, relevant external organisations, to negotiate immediate or prompt solutions. If necessary, PALS can refer patients and families to local or national support agencies.
The PALS team at Moorfields also handles all complaints about our services, ensuring that all are dealt with appropriately and used to improve services for others in future.
The service is open at our main City Road hospital from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.
You can contact us on 020 7566 2324 or by emailing [email protected]
You are also welcome to pop into the office, which is on the ground floor at the main City Road hospital.
A member of the team can also visit you in clinic or on the ward – just ask a member of staff to contact us on your behalf.
Day Surgery
On arrival, you will be admitted to one of our single-sex day care wards, where a nurse will give you a full explanation of what will happen during your stay. Your surgeon will also come to see you to discuss and sign your consent for surgery form. Once surgery has started for the morning or afternoon, the surgeons are not usually able to leave the operating theatre. Therefore, please ensure that you arrive at the specified time so that there is time for your surgeon to talk to you before your operation.
The surgeons decide in which order to operate on patients, but sometimes this has to change during the course of the morning or afternoon. Please bear with us if we are unable to be exact about what time you will be going to theatre.
You will be offered refreshments in the morning and afternoon and a sandwich for either lunch or tea, depending on your operation and which sort of anaesthetic you are having.
During your operation
You will be taken to one of our operating theatres for your operation. If you are having a general anaesthetic, you will need to change into a theatre gown and might have to remove your dentures if you wear them. If you having a local anaesthetic, you remain in your own clothes. Most eye operations are relatively quick to perform and typically last between 30 and 90 minutes.
After your operation
After your operation, we like to keep you in for at least an hour to ensure there are no problems. Before you leave, a nurse or doctor might need to examine you, and your medications will need to be dispensed from the pharmacy. This sometimes takes longer than anticipated so we recommend you make alternative arrangements for work, childcare, and so on. We will try to keep you informed about any delays and how long these might last.
You will be given your drops, eye shield and follow-up appointment following your final discharge. Please note that some types of surgery require patients to return the following morning for review.
You may go home by public transport, but it is essential that you have an adult escorting you home.
Please ask as many questions as you want about your care, treatment, what is happening during your stay or what happens once you go home. If you have any concerns or uncertainties, please ask to speak to the ward sister, the nurse in charge or the surgical matron during your visit.