News & Views

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists is delighted to announce that the National Ophthalmology Database Audit (NOD) has received further funding for 2020.

The Royal College pressed for much needed funding for ophthalmic services during a visit to the college by Health Minister Nadine Dorries to mark World Patient Safety Day.

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists is delighted to open the second Ulverscroft David Owen Award. In memory of David Owen who chaired the Ulverscroft Foundation, the College and the Foundation are offering a £500 prize in recognition of high-quality research in paediatric ophthalmology.

There are 700,000 people in the UK living with glaucoma, an eye disease that without treatment typically causes loss of vision. Over the next ten years, glaucoma cases are predicted to rise by 22% and over 20 years by 44%.

Successfully completing another year of data collection from across 70% of eligible NHS trusts in England and Wales, the third prospective NOD Audit report on cataract surgery during 2017 – 2018 is published today.

Applications are now open for the 2020 John Lee Primer Fellowship Award, presented in partnership with Fight for Sight. The award is open to trainee ophthalmologists who are members of The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, to support the pursuit of ophthalmic and vision research.

The RCOpth is a stakeholder of the Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning (CCEHC), an independent advisory body providing evidence-based national clinical leadership, advice and guidance to policy makers in health, social care and public health, and those commissioning and providing eye health services in England.

NHS England have made a commitment in the NHS Long Term Plan to commission an in-school visual assessment for all children in special schools in England. This will allow visual assessment, refraction and dispensing of spectacles (where appropriate).

The NOD audit collects data on cataract surgery performed in England and Wales and provides individual surgeons, healthcare providers and the public with benchmarked reports on performance, with the aim of improving the care provided to patients.

The British Council for Prevention of Blindness supports research into the prevention of blindness in low and low-middle income countries throughout the world.