Read the latest RCOphth news updates and guidance here.
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).
In the Annual Report 2020, Bernie Chang, President of The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) praises the commitment shown by all ophthalmologists who battled daily to deliver eye care services for patients during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This new ‘Vision Atlas’ represents the first Public Health England (PHE) output solely focused on eye health. Ophthalmology is the largest outpatient specialty in England. The atlas shows there were 9 million outpatient attendances for vision in 2019/20.
The RCOphth believes that everyone should be treated with respect, supported and encouraged to do their best. NHS staff, at all levels, should work in an environment and culture of learning and improving to maintain high standards of patient care.
The Nettleship Medal is a prestigious award established on Mr Edward Nettleship’s retirement from practice in 1901. A fund was inaugurated by his friends and pupils with the object of founding an Edward Nettleship Prize for the encouragement of scientific ophthalmic work.
Congratulations to Wojciech Karwatowski who has been elected as the new chair of the Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning (CCEHC) following a vote by the members of the Clinical Council.
Following on from the joint vision statement for England published in August 2020, both Colleges have reviewed and built on the learnings over the past year resulting in a joint statement for the UK: Joint UK vision RCOphth and Optometrists July 2021.
This excellent guidance will help ophthalmologists answer questions they may have when presented with patients with low vision needs, such as “Which patients should be referred to low vision services?”, or “Is there a level of visual acuity below which a patient should be referred?” As in referral for cataract surgery, it depends on the functional vision of the patient, and their visual requirements for daily living.
The College has been made aware that the manufacturers of Visudyne (verteporfin) are experiencing significant production delays and new stocks of Visudyne will not be available for the UK market until early 2022. Due to the low volume of circulating stock of Visudyne in the UK the Department of Health and Social Care has made the decision to divert the remaining stock to the national ophthalmic oncology centres.
This excellent guidance will help ophthalmologists answer questions they may have when presented with patients with low vision needs, such as “Which patients should be referred to low vision services?”, or “Is there a level of visual acuity below which a patient should be referred?” As in referral for cataract surgery, it depends on the functional vision of the patient, and their visual requirements for daily living.
