Adapting to social distancing requirements during the Covid-19 pandemic, Moorfields Eye Hospital has introduced new ways of working to allow more patients to be seen, including a new central London diagnostic hub.  

Instead of waiting to see a consultant on the same day that a diagnostic eye test takes place, the diagnostic hub takes people through a series of rapid tests which are all completed within a 45-minute visit. The results are then reviewed online by a consultant, who informs the patient of the outcome via a letter. Some patients are offered a virtual video or telephone appointment to discuss results. Patients are only asked to attend a subsequent appointment if the consultant sees something requiring urgent or personal attention.  

The format reduces patient time in clinic and the number of face-to-face attendances, making the patient journey more efficient, said Dilani Siriwardena, deputy medical director at Moorfields. “Expanding our use of diagnostic hubs has allowed us to provide diagnostic care to many patients and has given us a safer way to keep clinics open during this lockdown. We hope that the diagnostic hubs format can be applied in other settings to meet the needs of patients in the safest, most efficient way possible.”  

Having pioneered this pathway in several disciplines before the pandemic, Moorfields is now rolling it out across more specialties, including in-demand services such as medical retina and glaucoma treatment.