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The Gambia-Swansea VISION 2020 LINK: building eye care services and international friendships

History The VISION 2020 LINK between the Sheikh Zayed Regional Eye Care Centre (SZRECC), Banjul, The Gambia and the Ophthalmology Department, Singleton Hospital, Swansea started in 2008 under the guidance of the VISION 2020 LINKS Programme at the International Centre...

An introduction to research governance

Research is the process of acquiring new generalisable knowledge and should be fully integrated into health care work. There is a growing drive to encourage and further develop evidence-based practice in ophthalmology so that staff and patients benefit from improved...

Non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION): a review

Ischaemic optic neuropathy (ION) is the commonest adult optic neuropathy encountered today in our ageing population, is a common cause of irreversible visual loss and is usually associated with underlying vascular disease. The condition is classified as follows: (a) Anterior...

A complicated case of cytomegalovirus viremia: “What would you do doctor?”

Mrs W walked gracefully into my urgent care clinic. It was another busy session and I hoped she did not have anything serious going on which might slow the clinic further. She was an elegant 72-year-old lady who seemed like...

How to pass the FRCOphth Part 1 as a foundation trainee: some practical tips

Attempting the FRCOphth Part 1 examination as a foundation trainee requires significant time and financial commitment. Unlike the MRCP and MRCS examinations, the curriculum of this exam does not overlap with the undergraduate syllabus. As such, it is a steep...

Tricks and tips for paediatric refraction

Refraction is an important part of the paediatric eye examination but can sometimes be challenging. If a child struggles to co-operate with the eye examination, how can one ensure that the best outcome is achieved? There are tips here which...

Development of eyecare services in Dominica: Past, present, and future

Dominica is a small island developing state in the Caribbean with a population of approximately 73,000 people [1] and has a long and proud history of developing eyecare services through international partnerships. This article will give you an outline of...

Nurse-led Rapid Corneal Collagen Cross-linking / UKISOP Society Education Day

Nurse-led Rapid Corneal Collagen Cross-linking By Dan Gore Over the last decade, clinical trial data has accumulated for new interventions in keratoconus that promise to arrest disease progression, significantly reduce transplantation rates and save many patients from long-term reliance on...

Diabetic retinopathy screening in Belize: a country’s journey towards reducing blindness from DR

The rise of diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications is a public health concern in the Caribbean. The Caribbean Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) Programme, managed by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and funded by the Queen Elizabeth...

A paradigm shift in the way we approach cataract surgery

Cataract surgery is the most common elective surgical procedure in the UK [1], with in the region of 350,000 cases being conducted each year. With an ageing population, this figure will only continue to rise over time. Cataract surgery is...

Specialist high-street eye clinics for managing patients with retinal disorders can enhance care standards

The author examines the successful introduction of community-based retinal clinic services by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Sajjad Mahmood, Consultant Ophthalmologist, MREH, shares experience of establishing community-based medical retina clinic services. Sight loss from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract,...