News & Views

Professor Lee, Honorary Fellow of the College and one of the foremost ophthalmic pathologists of his generation, died on 3 July at the age of 93.

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists is urging people planning to watch this week’s solar eclipse to protect their sight, warning that even brief exposure to the sun can cause lasting vision damage. 

This year the College has awarded Honorary Fellowships to Professor Peter Scanlon and Professor Sobha Sivaprasad.

We are inviting Foundation Doctors to enter the 2026 Essay Prize.

In recent months, College members have featured in a range of media outlets. By contributing their knowledge and expertise, they are helping to promote the College and its work, raising awareness of eye health and eye care issues, and advocating for positive patient outcomes.

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists welcomes confirmation that the government will create an additional 4,000 specialty training places in England, following yesterday’s vote by BMA resident doctors to accept the government’s offer on pay and jobs. 

Edward Botcherby has been selected as the recipient of the Keeler Scholarship 2025.

Following the Senedd and Scottish Parliament elections last month, we have written to the respective Health Ministers urging them to prioritise addressing the challenges ophthalmology services face in both nations.

The College is calling on all providers of NHS-funded age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treatment to ensure all their patients start being treated within 14 days of referral to give them the best possible outcome. Results from the latest National Ophthalmology Audit (NOD) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) audit report, published this week, show that - disappointingly - the proportion of patients receiving their first treatment within two weeks of referral has fallen from around 40% to 30% in the last year.

The College is backing new guidance from NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme aimed at reducing the risk of avoidable sight loss through a clinical framework for the delivery of glaucoma care in England. It prioritises early detection, accurate referrals, and lifelong continuity of care.