Read the latest RCOphth news updates and guidance here.
The College of Optometrists and The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) have developed a joint vision for the two professions to continue to work together to support the delivery of safe and sustainable eye care services in England.
With the pandemic continuing to affect the way primary and secondary eye care services are provided for patients in England, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) and The College of Optometrists have developed a joint vision to support our workforce and the commissioning of safe and sustainable eye care services that meet the needs of all patients, improving patient care and outcomes during and beyond the pandemic.
We continue to work in uncertain times and the threat of a ‘second wave’ of the pandemic remains a possibility. We also know that this is likely to be compounded by the winter pressures placed on the system. We all have to be vigilant, be prepared and support our services to the best of our capabilities.
In this episode we hear from Nimish Shah, the regional diabetic screening lead for Bath and North East Somerset. He talks to us about how COVID-19 affected the running of the diabetic screening service.
In this episode we spoke with Helen Devonport, a Consultant Ophthalmologist from Bradford who shared her experience of how the COVID-19 crisis affected her medical retina service and the steps taken to ensure patients were kept safe.
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists is unable to report on the association of vision impairment, as a result of a patient contracting COVID-19, due to a lack of evidence.
In this episode, Aman Chandra, a consultant vitreo-retinal surgeon and the Awards and Scholarships Lead at the college spoke with Professor Mario Romano, a vitreo-retinal surgeon working in the epicentre of the European COVID19 crisis in Milan.
A statement from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) has recommended patients ‘not to hold back’ from seeking medical treatment for other conditions during the Covid19 epidemic. The statement also recommends the public must be fully confident that they can and should, seek medical assistance if they have symptoms which cause concern, or they already are being treated for a serious health condition.
We call on NHS England leaders to work with professional and patient eye care organisations to improve the models and funding of eye care services to protect patients.
The Association of Optometrists (AOP), The College of Optometrists and The Royal College of Ophthalmologists have joined forces to issue a statement outlining steps to tackle increasing pressure on hospital eye departments in England.
