News & Views

The Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit (BOSU), which runs the world’s only nationwide surveillance unit for epidemiological research into rare eye conditions, is being boosted by a new by a new grant from Fight for Sight that will enable its continuing support for UK research into rare eye disorders. Launched today, on Rare Disease Day, the funding from eye research charity Fight for Sight of £204,375, matched by the College, will support the BOSU for the next five years.

This week (19 – 23 June) is Clinical Audit Awareness Week, a national annual campaign that promotes and celebrates the impact of clinical audits in healthcare. RCOphth runs the world renowned National Ophthalmology Database Audit and is recognised by clinicians, NICE, GIRFT and industry as an important safety and research tool that is used to audit the treatment of cataracts and recently has added the potentially blinding disease of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to its work.

RCOphth would like to congratulate Dr Ian MacCormick, clinical lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, and his senior author Simon Harding from the University of Liverpool, for winning the Ulverscroft David Owen prize for the best-published paper titled: “How does blood-retinal barrier breakdown relate to death and disability in pediatric cerebral malaria?”

RCOphth would like to congratulate Professor Gus Gazzard at Moorfields Eye Hospital Foundation Trust for winning the Nettleship Medal for the best-published paper.

RCOphth would like to congratulate Dr Sohaib Riyaz Rufai and his colleagues at The University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit, & Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London for winning the Ulverscroft David Owen prize for the best published paper titled

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists is deeply concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic ophthalmology, research and innovation in ophthalmology and vision sciences.

Ophthalmologists make use of micro-surgical techniques in a variety of operations on the eye. The use of EyeSi simulators to practice these techniques allows trainees to refresh and improve their surgical skills.