News & Views

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists and The College of Optometrists have collaborated on the Ophthalmic Services guidance: Designing Glaucoma Care Pathways using GLAUC-STRAT-FAST. 

CQC's inspection programme is changing.  Rather than treating surgery as a single speciality they are moving to an approach focused much more on the surgical sub-specialities.  This approach will involve continuous monitoring of key metrics supported by a more detailed review (deep dive) when concerns are raised.  The CQC is looking to recruit 4-5 senior clinicians to assist CQC in a pilot of the new approach.

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) has produced a new draft clinical guideline on the management of Angle-Closure Glaucoma. This has been developed through a guideline development group (GDG) chaired by Professor Paul Foster. The College would now welcome any comments or observations on the content, format, or recommendations in this new guidance, to help contribute to and influence the final guideline.

We’ve updated our Ophthalmic Service Guidance for paediatric ophthalmology! Our 2021 guidance represents the expert consensus, based on available evidence and national guidance, of the Paediatric Sub-committee of The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth).

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) and The College of Optometrists are issuing interim recommendations on routine cataract care to help rapidly increase hospital capacity to see patients with urgent, complex or sight threatening disease.

NHS England (NHSE) has published Eyecare Planning & Implementation guidance for this financial year (2021-2022). The guidance is for NHS Regions, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) moving to Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), and NHS Trusts (hospital eye services). Read the Eye Care Planning Implementation Guidance 2021-22 Summary Annexe.  This new guidance is an annexe to NHS England’s main 2021/22 priorities and operational planning guidance already published in March 2021.

The College had considered the recent reports of an increased incidence of Central Venous Sinus Thrombosis (CVST) in the UK and anecdotal cases of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) in the immediate period (28 days) subsequent to COVID vaccination. In view of this potential link, the College asks all UK ophthalmologists to consider reporting possible inoculation related cases to the MHRA using their reporting system.

Boric acid and disodium tetraborate are used as excipients in a number of medicines for their antimicrobial and buffering properties. Toxicity studies in rats identified that testicular toxicity leading to reduced fertility occurs at doses below that which result in damage to other organs. As a result, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended upper limits on the daily exposure to boron-containing excipients, expressed as equivalent doses of elemental boron. For children under 2 years, the limit is 1mg per day and for children aged 2-12 years, the limit is 3mg per day. (Reference: EMA/CHMP 619104/2013).

The first of a series of a series of webinars about The Eye Care Digital Playbook was held on Monday 1st March. These webinars, held jointly between NHSX and The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, will look at how the eye care playbook can improve patient experience and directly help clinicians support their patients. 

In this episode with speak with Bhavin Shah, an Optometrist from North London with a special interest in myopia management. He provides an overview of the literature regarding existing and future treatments and provides a personal insight into how he manages patients in whom progressive myopia is suspected.