World Sight Day (Thursday 8 October) is an international day that aims to raise awareness of blindness and vision impairment. To celebrate this day, we’re focusing on two important teams here at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust who look after the eye care of our patients.
Our Ophthalmology department offers patients a range of services from general ophthalmology consultations to more specialised services. Their services are delivered by some of the best ophthalmic specialists in the region and the department has around 80 staff, including opthalmologists, ophthalmic nurses, optometrists, orthoptists, medical photographers, ophthalmic technicians and a host of other support staff.
Our Birmingham, Solihull and Black Country Diabetic Eye Screening Programme manages over 170,000 patients with diabetes and is internationally recognised for patient care, research into diabetes, diabetic retinopathy and other related eye diseases. This is an important part of the diabetes care we provide, as diabetic eye disease is a leading cause of blindness in the UK. Diabetes can affect the blood vessels, causing them to leak in the back of the eye (the retina) and this is known as diabetic retinopathy. We encourage our patients to attend regular screenings so any problems can be picked up early and before any long-term damage is done.
The team have made a retinal screening video to show the importance of regular screening.
Below are two success stories, so please read on to find out more.
The Ophthalmology team recently saw *Bob, a 69-year-old patient with diabetes. Following his assessment, he underwent surgery to remove cataracts in both eyes. The surgery was a huge success and allowed him to regain his vision well enough for him to be able to drive again. Bob was delighted with the results and he no longer has to wear glasses (which he had worn for 65 years). He feels like he has got his life back and he cannot thank the team enough for their help in restoring his vision and his independence.
23-year-old *Amy had very poor vision as a result of a blood clot in her right eye. She was depressed as a result, unable to work and had been told it was unlikely she would regain her sight. She saw our Ophthalmology team who offered her hope with a pioneering treatment involving an intraocular steroid implant. The treatment helped her to regain 20/20 vision in her right eye. Amy is delighted with her ‘miracle’ treatment and will never forget the kindness and professionalism the team showed her. *names changed
To find out more about the work of both teams, please visit the Opthalmology page or the Birmingham, Solihull and Black Country Diabetic Eye Screening Programme website.
