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Eye Capacity: clinical need should drive ophthalmic service provision

Almost two million people in the UK suffer sight loss, a number forecast to double over coming decades. Major causes of blindness are age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cataract and uncorrected refractive error. Prevalence of these sight-threatening conditions...

COVID-19 and Charles Bonnet Syndrome

As COVID-19 rips through the country, it is – of course – imperative that we stay at home to try and prevent the virus spreading through the whole community. We are all aware of the need to take special care...

Make eye drops part of your Ramadan routine: wake, drops, eat, pray, done!

During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast during daylight hours, abstaining from food and drink between dawn and sunset each day. Ramadan 2020 starts on 23 April and ends around 23 May, depending on the first appearance of the...

The COVID-19 ‘frontlines’: a foundation doctor’s perspective

Staring through the fragmented stained glass of the Virgin Mary and her assorted angels, I reflected on the strangeness of the workplace I now found myself working in and the irony of a workforce now working together more enthusiastically than...

The Re-humanising Revolution: Breaking the conspiracy of silence

Over the last few years, the mental and emotional wellbeing of those who work in medicine has come under scrutiny. The author introduces a new resource. Working in healthcare has always been stressful but never more so than today. In...

Use of a smartphone repair microscope for microsurgical suturing simulation

Suturing ocular tissues under microscopic guidance is a skill that has declined in frequency, with the majority of cataract operations being sutureless. With the recent COVID-19 outbreak, training opportunities in theatre have declined further, given elective surgery cancellations. Subsequently, trainees...

My Top Five: Digital ophthalmology revision resources for medical students

Ophthalmology is a broad and exciting field to study but encountering the vast number of topics it contains for the first time in medical school can be a daunting prospect. Building a solid foundation of knowledge in the subject is...

Randomisation, confounding & observational methods in ophthalmic epidemiology

Randomisation and confounding Understanding the relationship between an exposure and an outcome of interest is the central challenge in ophthalmic epidemiology. The exposure may be aetiological, taking the form of a putative risk biological factor, or therapeutic, in the form...

Use of off-the-shelf magnifying glasses as a cost-effective alternative for surgical loupes

Surgical loupes are an integral part of ophthalmic surgery on the ocular surface and in the periocular area. Available in different magnifications, they provide a clear view of the field of surgery which can greatly assist in identifying fine structures...

The last three patients: general medicine (Patient Two)

For the second reflection in this series (see Patient One here), Professor Jonathan Rees recounts his experiences of the last patient he saw as a medical registrar, telling the tragic story of a young man’s death and the risks that...

The work of RNIB and ECLOs

With more than 2,000,000 people in the UK living with some degree of sight loss and over 300,000 registered as blind or partially sighted, it is important for anyone living with sight loss to know they’re not alone. At what...

The All Eyes Foundation

At its core, All Eyes Foundation (AEF) wishes to help bring vision back to Iraq, and it intends to do this through ophthalmic subspecialty training, mentoring and infrastructure development. Based in Najaf, just over 100 miles south of Baghdad, the...