EYE treatments can now be conducted at Broomfield Hospital after a charity group raised £17,000 for new equipment.

Volunteers from The Friends at Broomfield Hospital team helped raise money to pay for an advanced specular microscope for the site’s eye clinic.

The state-of-the-art device is used to assess the front of the eye, known as the cornea, of routine or transplant patients.

Previously local patients would have to travel out of the area to receive this treatment.

Consultant ophthalmologist Dimitris Pimenides said getting the equipment through the hard work of the group will be a massive benefit to staff and patients.

Dr Primendes said: “For many of our elderly patients this was just not possible and often meant they were unable to have treatment, leaving them blind and in a lot of eye pain.

“Thanks to the generous support from the Friends, we can now carry out these complex procedures here at the hospital, which means a better outcome for many more of our patients.

“It is extremely important that we provide the specialist care our patients need in a setting local to them.

“I can’t begin to express my gratitude to the Friends for their support and for making it possible to provide the specialist treatment our patients needs.”

Previously the volunteers have raised money to help buy devices used for treating eyes at the hospital.