News & Views

Eye’s 2020 Impact Factor is now 3.775; a big jump up from 2.455 in 2019! The journal’s rank within ophthalmology journals has also changed from 22/60 to 12/62.

The paper reports the findings of the British Childhood Vision Impairment and Blindness study (BCVISG) which relied on ophthalmologists and paediatricians across the UK’s four nations reporting newly diagnosed children with VI/SVIBL through the British Ophthalmological Study Unit (BOSU) and the equivalent national paediatric surveillance unit (BPSU).

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) is pleased to announce the expansion of our prestigious Fellowship in Ophthalmology (FRCOphth) examinations overseas with new international host centres opening in India, Egypt and Trinidad and Tobago in 2022. Applications open from October 2021.

Congratulations to Professor Caroline MacEwen DBE MD FRCOphth FRCS, who has been appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to Ophthalmology and Healthcare Leadership during the Covid-19 Response. Professor MacEwen is a former President of The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) and former Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.

The Staff and Associate Specialist (SAS) Ophthalmologists Group (SAS Group) is an integral to the work of the College supporting members in Staff Grade, Associate Specialist, Specialty Doctor (SAS) and other non-consultant non-training grades. It has a voice on all major College Committees to represent SAS ophthalmologists’ opinions to the College. Lead the RCOphth’s SAS Committee continuing and expanding on the Committee’s success in raising and addressing concerns of SAS ophthalmologists.  

In light of the reports of rejected referrals, Public Health England Diabetic Eye Screening have recently updated their ‘Managing Referrals to Hospital Eye Services’ guidance. This includes guidance on managing new referrals and the requirement for appropriate additional tests before a decision is made to discharge to the community.

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 Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) is delighted to announce that the National Ophthalmology Database (NOD) Audit: Age-Related Macular Degeneration has now received funding for three years, enabling this important programme of long-term research and data gathering to begin. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) remains a leading cause of sight impairment despite new treatment options. It is estimated to affect 600,000 people in the UK, with 39,800 patients developing “wet” AMD each year.

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) recommends eye care centres monitor their own data to identify how their use of Intraocular Lenses (IOLs) affects the rate of a post-operative cataract surgical complication known as Posterior Capsular Opacification (PCO).

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.