News published by La Voz de Galicia
"The reduction in appointment times has been achieved through the increase in professionals, technological improvements, and changes in the organization of schedules," explains Dr. Inés Pérez Flores, head of the ophthalmology service at the Ribera Povisa hospital.
Hospital Ribera Povisa It has significantly reduced access times to the Ophthalmology service over the past year. Specifically, for patients referred from primary care, the waiting time to see a specialist has been reduced by 50%.
Dr. Inés Pérez Flores, head of the Ophthalmology Department of the Ribera Povisa Hospital Since the beginning of 2025, he explains how these improvements have been achieved and discusses other accomplishments of his team.
Dr. Pérez, since you took over the service, what changes have you implemented to achieve these improvements?
Some of the factors that have contributed to these reductions in appointment times include increased staffing, improved technology, and changes in the organization of schedules and surgical procedures.
We have made adjustments to achieve better organization of the activity, restructuring the consultation schedules so that patients get their appointment with the specialist quickly.
On the other hand, care pathways have been improved, optimizing surgical times. All of this has been fundamental in streamlining the service's operation, ensuring the quality and safety of the care we provide.
It has been a joint effort, not only of the Ophthalmology team, but achieved thanks to the extraordinary support of the hospital's healthcare management, with Dr. Emma Iglesias at the helm, and the managing director, Dr. Ángela Guerra, who since her arrival has been committed to change and growth, the fruits of which we now see.
"Optometrists provide eye exams to all patients who come for a consultation, without exception."
How many staff members are in the ophthalmology service at Ribera Povisa?
The team consists of 9 ophthalmologists and 5 optometrists, in addition to support and nursing staff. We are a subspecialized service, meaning we have specialists: two in retina, three in glaucoma, two in ocular surface, one specialist in oculoplastics, and one in strabismus.
I would like to emphasize that optometrists provide prescriptions to all patients who come for a consultation, without exception. Furthermore, they perform most of the complementary and imaging tests necessary for a complete eye examination.
Could you explain the importance of the sub-specialization of your service?
For example, our ocular motility unit treats patients with complex strabismus who are referred from other centers in Galicia, and patients from all over Spain also come to us.
In many cases, strabismus is a chronic condition, and between 20 and 30% of patients will require more than one surgery throughout their lives. There are also patients with acquired strabismus and double vision who experience severe difficulty with daily tasks, but we can offer treatment that improves their quality of life.
Furthermore, our Intravitreal Therapy Unit has received accreditation from the Spanish Retina Society. This recognizes the quality of care and the organizational effort undertaken to consolidate a specialized model of care for medical conditions that severely affect vision due to macular damage. We are the second public hospital, after Ferrol, and the first private hospital in Galicia to achieve this accreditation.
What are the upcoming projects?
We want to increase subspecialized care by adding new ophthalmologists and optometrists. We are working to continue improving processes that streamline patient care. Our goal is to maintain these results and further advance accessibility and quality of care for our patients.
What are the most common questions you receive?
The majority of patients we treat have age-related pathologies, such as cataracts and retinal degenerations; some that are on the rise, such as acquired strabismus in adults; other chronic pathologies such as glaucoma, and diseases with possible ocular involvement such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and rheumatological diseases.
Increased life expectancy, new exploration and treatment techniques contribute to increased demand for healthcare.
"An adult with no prior history should start having checkups around age 40, as that's when diseases like presbyopia or glaucoma usually begin."
We tend to be strict about eye exams for young children, but adults often neglect them. How often should we have an eye exam, and what symptoms shouldn't we ignore?
We believe that an adult should start having check-ups around the age of 40, since that is when diseases such as presbyopia and glaucoma often begin.
However, adults with refractive errors, childhood eye diseases, or specific family history should begin their checkups earlier. The frequency of these checkups will be determined by the specialist based on each patient's individual characteristics.
And you should always pay attention to any symptoms related to decreased vision, distorted or double vision, alteration of the field of vision, eye pain, eye trauma… In these cases you should go to the ophthalmologist as soon as possible.
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