Moorfields Eye Hospital is marking National Eye Health Week with a new campaign encouraging patients to keep their eyes healthy and avoid eye infections – joining the wider optical profession in boosting awareness next week.
The hospital’s Yes Eye Did campaign will run for the whole of National Eye Health Week, from September 21 to September 27.
Advice and information will be provided online about how to spot eye infections and the role of eye tests in showing early signs of serious disease, and the hospital was encouraging people to make donations to help surgeons save patients’ sight.
Frank Larkin, a consultant ophthalmic surgeon and deputy director of research at Moorfields biomedical research centre, said: ‘Clearly the great majority of eyes which are donated supply our corneal transplants service which saves sight. However in the case of some donations, where people have suffered certain diseases, medical disorders or other general medical conditions, the risk to corneal transplantations is too great but this tissue can be used for research purposes.
‘At Moorfields there is ongoing research into numerous eye disease and inherited retinal disease and these donated eyes give us very valuable insight into many conditions because they can shed light on the disease and help to find cures.’
Moorfields general ophthalmology consultant, Seema Verma, will also be answering questions via a web chat on Wednesday September 23 at 3.30pm.
The organisers of National Eye Health Week have also teamed up with RNIB to publish Vista, a 60-page consumer lifestyle magazine designed to raise awareness of the importance of regular eye tests.
David Cartwright, chair of National Eye Health Week, said: ‘Vista is an exciting concept in public eye health promotion. By presenting important health messages in a stylish magazine format we hope to encourage more people to have regular sight tests and inspire them to make healthier lifestyle choices that reduce the risk of avoidable sight loss.’
