“For patients, the improvements mean more timely access to specialist ophthalmology services,” according to Adebusola Owokole, Project Lead for the Nenagh Hospital Ophthalmology OPD (outpatient department) Transformation Project. The project was recently recognised nationally for its positive impact on patient care – winning a Bright Spark clinical innovation award at the annual HSE Spark Summit.
Outlining how the transformation delivered “major gains in treatment-focused activity,” Ms Owokole explained how clinic attendance “increased by more than 17%”. She added that the number of intravitreal therapy (IVT) procedures - a critical eye injection treatment used to prevent vision loss in patients with retinal conditions such as macular degeneration - rose from 521 in 2024 to 764 in 2025.
This project was always about improving the experience and outcomes for our patients. Through teamwork, innovation, equity, diverse perspectives, and a shared commitment to continuous improvement, we have created a more efficient and reliable ophthalmology service that is helping more patients access the care they need, when they need it. The results show what can be achieved when frontline staff are empowered to redesign services around patients.
“The increases are particularly significant because retinal treatments are highly time-sensitive, and delays can have a direct impact on a patient’s sight and quality of life,” she added, noting how their approach had created a more predictable appointment system, with fewer disruptions to care.
The project focused on redesigning workflows, improving scheduling processes, streamlining patient pathways and making better use of available resources. Detailed procedural audits also showed substantial reductions in waiting times and variability across key stages of the patient journey, including doctor reviews, imaging, pre-operative assessments and nursing processes.
As a result, patients are moving through clinics more efficiently; bottlenecks have been reduced, and the service has been able to provide more care without an increase in workforce.
Activity data from 2025 showed significant outcomes including a 60.7% reduction in cancellations compared to the previous year; a 17.2% increase in clinic throughput and a 46.6% improvement in access to time-sensitive treatments. This all occurred at a time when there was an increase in overall clinic attendances from 4,257 to 4,375 patients.
The project aligns closely with the objectives of the HSE Spark programme, which supports healthcare staff to identify innovative solutions that improve productivity, patient experience, and sustainability within health services.
The award highlights the continued development of Nenagh Hospital as a regional centre for specialist ophthalmology services. The hospital has been providing cataract surgery since 2018 and IVT injections and expanded outpatient services since 2023.
The Ophthalmology OPD team continues to expand their innovation agenda with preparations advancing to commence dedicated glaucoma clinics, complementing the advanced laser services currently available in Nenagh.