Reflections on sight loss - RNIB

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In the know Improving eye health services A new eye care guide, ‘Improving eye health services’, has been launched for senior managers responsible for commissioning eye health services. The guide, which will be part of the World Class Commissioning (WCC) framework, provides practical advice about how primary care trusts (PCTs) can commission services that meet the needs of their local communities. The world class commissioning programme sets out a framework to support PCTs in developing the competencies needed to commission high-quality services that improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities. As part of the WCC programme, every PCT is developing a five-year strategic plan, which sets out its vision, its priorities and how these will be delivered. The new eye care guide is supported by the Department of Health and UK Vision Strategy. A guide offering practical advice and tools on how PCTs can improve primary care for excluded groups, is also planned. New guidance on deafblindness Guidance issued by the Department of Health gives new rights to deafblind people and places new duties on local authorities. It applies to both children and adults, and widens the definition of deafblindness to include anyone whose combined sight and hearing impairments cause difficulties with communication, access to information and mobility. The guidance is relevant to all local social services staff and requires specific actions to be taken, such as identifying and keeping records on deafblind people and providing specialist assessments by people who understand the efffects of dual impairment, as well as trained one-to-one support. They should ensure that services are appropriate and that information is provided in ways that are accessible to deafblind people. The circular LAC(DH)(2009)6, issued in June 2009, replaces previous guidance on social care for deafblind children and adults and is available through the Department of Health publications website at www.dh.gov.uk/en/ Publicationsandstatistics/Publications Links ➜ http://snipurl.com/nv5ts 10
Health watchdog issues glaucoma guidance The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Clinical Guideline Centre have issued guidelines to improve the diagnosis and management of chronic open angle glaucoma (COAG) and ocular hypertension (OHT). Affecting an estimated 480,000 people in England, COAG is a common condition that can lead to blindness if is not diagnosed early and treated promptly. Around 10 per cent of UK blindness registrations are due to In the know glaucoma. There are usually no symptoms until the later stages, though OHT (raised pressure in the eye) is a major risk factor for developing COAG. NICE recommendations include a suite of tests for people suspected of having COAG or who have OHT, monitoring of people who are most at risk, and treatment regimes to reduce high eye pressure. Links ➜ www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG85 Advice for optometrists about people with learning disabilities There are well over a million people with some level of learning disability in the UK. People with learning disabilities are more likely to have eye problems, yet traditionally have problems accessing eye care. A new Continuing Education pack produced by Healthcall Optical Services in collaboration with SeeAbility and Replay Learning is aiming to make it easier for optometrists to offer the eye care that this group needs. The charity SeeAbility is working to transform eye care and vision for people with learning disabilities through its eye 2 eye Campaign, which provides information and advice. It also supports Look Up (www.lookupinfo.org), an education resource on eye care and vision for people with learning disabilities. The Continuing Education pack was sent to every registered optometrist in the UK during Learning Disability Week in June. For further information visit www.seeability.org.uk AMD annual evidence update The annual evidence update on age-related macular degeneration (AMD), published in June, presents a collection of evidence that has emerged in the past 12 months. The update covers both wet and dry forms of AMD. Topics include epidemiology, genetics, living with AMD, low vision aids, retinal imaging for diagnosis, surgical and therapeutic interventions, charitable organisations and patient support groups. Links ➜ www.library.nhs.uk/Eyes (follow the links under ‘Annual evidence updates’). Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease The Health Protection Agency has issued advice that patients about to undergo surgery on the retina, choroid, posterior hyaloid or optic nerve should be asked a number of questions to ascertain whether they are at increased risk of Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (CJD) or variant CJD (vCJD), in order to minimise the risk of surgical transmission. The advice can be found at www.dh.gov.uk/ ab/ACDP/TSEguidance/index.htm then follow the link to Annex J (Assessment to be carried out before surgery or endoscopy). 11
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Page 3 and 4: 26 40 36 News 4 News 10 In the know
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Page 7 and 8: New treatment tackles river blindne
Page 9: Advertisements Books for profession
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Page 15 and 16: Where’s the small print? Where’
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Page 21 and 22: Viewpoint Nurses reported that ther
Page 23 and 24: Viewpoint Simon Labbett: “Referra
Page 25 and 26: Products Mobility, braille and audi
Page 27 and 28: A degree of change National Institu
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Page 31 and 32: Career focus ● Risk and negligenc
Page 33 and 34: What I do is... example I’ll shin
Page 35 and 36: A new breed of CCTVs Remote control
Page 37 and 38: Glaucoma and ethnicity The biggest
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Page 41 and 42: Food for thought - and sight Five a
Page 44 and 45: Your health Working with stress Hea
Page 46 and 47: Your health ➜ The association enc
Page 48 and 49: Experience A patient’s eye view:
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