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The last three patients: dermatology (Patient Three)

For the third and final reflection in this series (see Part 1 and Part 2), Professor Jonathan Rees recounts his experience of a patient with cancer who was failed by the NHS, and how their inadequate treatment illuminates some issues...

Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery: What options are there and when might they be considered?

In recent years there has been a rapid expansion in a group of operations termed ‘minimally invasive’ or ‘micro invasive’ glaucoma surgery (MIGS). These options generally offer less significant IOP reduction, but with a more favourable safety profile when compared...

Managing an outreach eye service… 8000 miles away!

In 1997, Paul Rosen, a relatively newly appointed consultant surgeon to the Oxford Eye Hospital, was approached by Richard Davies, a GP in Stanley, Falkland Islands, to assist in the provision and management of the Falkland Islands eye surgery service....

Prognostic AI for diabetic retinopathy: Towards the first prospective trial in the UK

Artificial intelligence (AI) is frequently described as having the capacity to dramatically change and improve healthcare. One extensively studied application of AI in ophthalmology involves the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy (DR) or diabetic maculopathy (DM) using retinal imaging. An emerging...

From paper to digital: Real lessons for a sustainable NHS digital future

Portsmouth's OpenEyes implementation reveals why healthcare digital transformation needs honest evaluation, proper clinical leadership resourcing and realistic expectations about technology efficiency promises. Like many eye departments across the NHS, we at Portsmouth were drowning in paper. Notes went missing, handwriting...

Deliberate darkness: The systematic weaponisation of blinding in global protests

As eyecare professionals, we spend our entire professional lives fighting to preserve light. We train to master the delicate microscopic topography of the cornea, the retina and the optic nerve, all with the objective of saving our patients from the...

Spotlight: The Community Eye Health Journal

In many low-income settings, where vision loss is greatest, eyecare is hampered by shortages in trained health workers. In sub-Saharan Africa, there are fewer than five ophthalmologists per million population, compared to over 70 per million in high-income countries. Eyecare...

Congenital and paediatric cataract: Advances in diagnosis and management

Congenital and paediatric cataracts are relatively rare, although prevalence varies significantly between countries, influenced by factors such as nutrition, immunisation policy and population genetics [1]. In the UK, around 3–4 of every 10,000 babies are born with cataracts. It’s a...