Two eye care professionals on the Isle of Wight have been nominated for national awards after outstanding praise from patients.
Javeed Khan, Consultant Ophthalmologist and Lead Clinician at St Mary’s Hospital, and Ross Doig of Willets and Doig Optometrists in Cowes have both been nominated in the Macular Society’s Awards for Excellence.
Mr Khan and his team are in the category for ‘Clinical service of the year’, while Dr Doig is in the running to be named ‘Optometrist of the year.’ Both nominations recognise their exceptionally good practice in the care of people with macular degeneration.
Age-related macular degeneration affects the central vision and is the most common cause of sight loss in the UK. More people are affected as our population ages.
‘Clinical service of the year’ is an award for medical staff, teams or services which provide diagnosis or treatment for macular disease, and which demonstrate exceptionally good practice in the care of people with central vision loss.
In nominations, Mr Khan and his team are described as “considerate”, “dedicated” and “wonderful”.
Mr Khan said: “It’s a great honour to be nominated for this award and reflects the hard work of the macular team which includes speciality doctors, specialist nurse (Yvette Revell-Smith) optometrist (Jacqueline Lamb) ably supported by our clinic and day-surgery nurses, appointment clerks and secretaries. We also have the support of community optometrists who help us provide a fast track service for wet AMD by assessing and referring patients urgently.”
‘Optometrist or optician of the year’ is open to practitioners working in any environment, such as a high street business, hospital or a local society who provide outstanding services to people with macular disease.
Willets and Doig were the first and still the only optometrists on the island to purchase an optical coherence tomography (OCT) machine, which enables eye care professionals to get a more detailed image of the retina.
This means that Dr Doig or his colleague, Mr Hartigan, can email scans of a patient’s macula straight to eye consultants, such as Mr Khan, for advice or referral. This working relationship between optometrist and consultant can speed up the referral process and potentially save a patient’s central vision.
Dr Doig said: “Myself and the whole practice feel very honoured that one of our patients has taken the time and effort to put us forward for a nomination. I am still smiling!
The nominations will now be handed over to the judges, who will decide on the overall winners and present them with their awards at the Society’s annual London conference on 28th September.
The Macular Society is the national charity for anyone affected by central vision loss. They provide free information and support to improve lives today and we fund research so that one day we can overcome macular disease.
For information, advice or support concerning macular disease, contact the Macular Society’s helpline on 0300 3030 111 or email [email protected]
