A new eye hospital is treating NHS patients in Wolverhampton, slashing waiting times, thanks to help from property agents Bulleys.
SpaMedica is a leading provider of services to the NHS, specialising in cataract surgery and YAG Capsulotomy, running 16 hospitals across England.
It has transformed the Fairfax House office block on the Pendeford Business Park into a world-class clinic, with capacity to treat up to 50 patients a day. The building has also been developed to act as a regional hub for SpaMedica.
The new clinic employs 12 clinical staff – including ophthalmologists, a hospital manager, specialist nurses, medical receptionists, healthcare technicians and a patient driver – and will eventually house another 58 regional administrative staff working within human resources, patient contact centre, IT support and management teams to support SpaMedica’s hospitals across the Midlands and southern region.
The company is an NHS partner treating a range of eye disorders and carrying out more than 36,000 surgeries a year, cutting the time from referrals to treatment from the NHS target of 126 days to just 35 days.
SpaMedica secured planning permission for a change of use at the office building from City of Wolverhampton Council last summer and the project was also supported by Black Country-based commercial property agents Bulleys, to help sort out lease issues.
The 11,978 sq ft Fairfax House was previously the UK headquarters of security firm Gunnebo, who have moved to new offices at Kennicott House in Willenhall.
Bulleys negotiated an early surrender of Gunnebo’s lease and as SpaMedica wanted a longer-term lease, Bulleys simultaneously negotiated this for them with the landlords at the same rent of £138,000 per annum.
The leasing deals cleared the way for the new hospital, which opened in December 2019.
Emma Wood, the hospital manager at SpaMedica Wolverhampton, said: “What makes us stand out is the level of individual care we invest in each patient that comes through our doors. And patients receive treatment from the best surgeons in the country.
“A lot of our patients often remember the care they received from our patient drivers, receptionists, surgeons and nurses that took care of them before and after the surgery. We are a very caring and welcoming team.”
Rod Spiby, partner at Bulleys, said: “We are delighted to see this SpaMedica hospital up and running and to have played our part in bringing a major new medical facility to Wolverhampton and the surrounding area.
“We are very pleased to have been able to negotiate an early exit for Gunnebo and an extended lease for SpaMedica. It required goodwill on all sides to complete such a complex arrangement and we were able to use our expertise to expedite the process.
“As a result, people in and around Wolverhampton have a state-of-the-art eye clinic that will help reduce NHS waiting times, ensuring people get excellent quality care much more rapidly. It is an excellent result for the city.”