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Post-Brexit deal welcomed but leaves future relationship with EU far from settled

Rod McNeil breaks down the impact of the Brexit deal on healthcare in the UK, including medicines regulation, research funding, sharing of information and the ability to work abroad. A disorderly no-deal exit from the European Union (EU) was averted...

COVID-19: Pete’s Bogus Journey

The author shares his personal experience of contracting coronavirus. I managed to body swerve COVID-19 for nine months. The Pfizer vaccine was being rolled out in my trust. I had my first inoculation booked in three weeks. I had survived...

A new observation point: updating the nomenclature and classification with OCT

The evolution of ophthalmic imaging technologies has been particularly rapid over the last few years. The author provides an update of the current terms for common signs and pathologies observed using optical coherence tomography. My experience as an ophthalmic technician,...

Do patient demographics influence AMD clinic attendance during COVID-19 lockdown?

The authors assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adherence to scheduled clinic appointments among age-related macular degeneration patients in a clinic in North Wales. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the population, affecting economic and social wellbeing, whilst...

Gene therapy for inherited retinal disease: the Manchester Ocular Gene Therapy Group MDT service

The authors describe the process set up in Manchester for the optimum delivery and assessment of a new gene therapy treatment for patients with RPE65 IRD. Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) are the second commonest cause of severe visual impairment in...

Sustainability in eyecare: Climate action in eyecare

Climate change will cause disruption to critical eyecare services and increases in rates of eye disease around the world. The International Agency for Prevention of Blindness has recommended 10 key areas of action on how the eyecare sector can address...

Sustainability in eyecare: Intraocular gases and the climate emergency

In 2020 the NHS became the first national health system to commit to delivering ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2040. The author investigates how the impact of ophthalmic surgery can be reduced. Medical gases have been used in ophthalmic surgery...

Streamlining cataract lists: how are you managing it?

Mr Jonathan Ross, in conversation with Ms Bita Manzouri, provides a personal perspective on challenges and opportunities shaping the future of cataract surgery services across the hospital eye service. Redesigning cataract pathways in response to COVID-19 Bita Manzouri: Over the...

Working smarter not harder: How to transform eyecare delivery in the United Kingdom (part 2)

Are we doing enough to meet the current demands on ophthalmic services? In part two of a two-part series (see Part 1 here), Rosalind Harrison explains how efficiency can be improved by setting up eye services in community hubs. The...

Ophthalmology clinical teaching and research fellowships: a pathway into ophthalmology specialty training

Ophthalmology is known for being one of the most competitive medical specialties in the UK, with 6.8 applicants per post in 2021. In fact, the competition ratio has drastically increased in recent years, rising from 5.73 in 2020 and 3.24...

Prevalence of acute anterior uveitis in diabetic patients attending diabetic eye disease clinics

The authors share their investigation at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital into the association between diabetes and AAU. The global prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is rapidly rising from an estimated 9.3% in 2019 to 10.2% by 2030 [1]. The link...

Post-stroke visual impairment: how big is the problem, how do we identify it, what we can do about it, and why does it matter?

In the UK, 100,000 new strokes occur each year, with 1.3 million stroke survivors [1]. This article will focus on post-stroke visual impairment, discussing topics of how common it is, how it can be detected, possible management options and how...