News & Views

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists last week hosted a webinar with King’s Mill Hospital Ophthalmology Department and NHS England’s Outpatient Recovery and Transformation team to explore how ophthalmology patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) can be successfully implemented. The session, held following the publication of the King’s Mill PIFU case study and attended by almost 100 people from a range of professions, saw an expert panel deliver presentations on the role PIFU can play in increasing capacity as part of a wider set of actions, followed by an audience Q&A.

Influential thinktank The Health Foundation has published a report which examines trends relating to independent sector provision of NHS ophthalmology services in England. RCOphth Policy Manager Jordan Marshall summarises the key findings, and how they link to existing work the College has led.

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists President, Professor Bernie Chang, joined the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Eye Health and Visual Impairment to deliver a presentation on the findings of the College’s 2022 workforce census. Joining Parliamentarians and sector leaders, Professor Chang detailed the extent of the workforce shortages in ophthalmology and the event also saw presentations from the College of Optometrists, the Association of Optometrists, and Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital about workforce challenges and solutions in their areas.

The government has responded to a report by the Health and Social Care Select Committee, agreeing that if medical school places are to be expanded ‘there would need to be the appropriate number of specialty training places subsequently made available for graduates’. With the upcoming Long Term Workforce Plan in England expected to announce increases to medical school places, this clarity is important in potentially paving the way for a much-needed expansion in ophthalmology specialty training places.

Dr Abdus Samad Ansari, Academic Clinical Fellow at King’s College London, is investigating the role of mitochondrial dysfunction and healthy ageing within the eye. Mitochondria are the powerhouse of cells, creating energy to maintain life. Their disruption, through depletion or variation in function, is thought to be involved in the susceptibility of an individual to develop glaucoma. Utilising the TwinsUK Cohort, Dr Ansari will be one of the first to examine mitochondrial dysfunction in a healthy population over time.

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) and the ophthalmology department at King’s Mill district general hospital (DGH) collaborated on a case study detailing how King’s Mill developed its patient initiated follow up (PIFU) offering in general ophthalmology, and the impact it has had on unit capacity and patient outcomes, as part of a wider set of actions.

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) has today published the results of its 2022 workforce census, highlighting the scale of staff shortages in NHS ophthalmology services and how they will continue to worsen over the coming years without immediate action. The report also finds increasing concerns regarding the impact of independent sector providers (private companies undertaking NHS-funded services) delivering NHS ophthalmology care.

Ophthalmologists affected by taxation on NHS pensions will be pleased by the government’s announcement of changes to the Lifetime and Annual Allowance, directly aimed at preventing more NHS doctors retiring early or reducing hours. The government also reconfirmed it will shortly be publishing its long term NHS workforce plan.