Cardiff University facility to take pressure off services

A new eye-care facility to help drive up the number of patients who can be seen by community-based optometrists and reduce the strain on hospitals and GPs has officially been opened.

Led by, and based in Cardiff University’s School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, the new Clinical and Educational Research Facility (CERF) will provide enhanced training and education opportunities for ECPs in more specialist skills, such as glaucoma, management of age-related macular degeneration, diabetes, and emergency eye-care.

The facility provide 12 new clinics, a break-out teaching area and modern video slit lamp and imaging equipment. It will also offer training areas for ECPs to gain more hands-on clinical experience, which the university said would enable them to provide more key services to patients in a primary care setting.