Over 52,000 people are waiting for eye care appointments or procedures, the latest figures have shown. According to figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), at the end of July, 43,000 people were waiting for outpatient appointments, with almost 14,000 of these already waiting more than 18 months. A further 9,100 people were on
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Covid-19 restrictions are having a major impact on the physical and mental health of blind and visually impaired people, the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) has warned. According to the charity, restrictions introduced to suppress the spread of the virus have impacted those with vision loss disproportionately. It carried out a survey
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People with eye care needs are being encouraged to attend their optometrists, which are reopening as part of phase 1 of the Government’s COVID-19 roadmap. According to the Association of Optometrists Ireland (AOI), all services, both urgent and non-urgent, will be available, including routine eye exams. However social distancing and safety measures will be followed
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Irish scientists have discovered a potential new treatment for Sjögren’s syndrome, a disease that causes severe dry eyes and dry mouth. Sjögren’s syndrome causes a patient’s white blood cells to attack the body’s tear and salivary glands, causing severe dry eyes and dry mouth. The dry and irritated eyes can significantly impact a person’s vision,
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People who are looking to access ophthalmic services have been reassured that those with emergencies will still be cared for. According to the Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO), while all elective and routine ophthalmology work has been postponed for now, “patients with emergencies are and will continue to be cared for”. “These are very challenging
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Optometrists are seeking the right to prescribe antibiotic eye drops, as part of COVID-19 (coronavirus) emergency legislation. Currently, antibiotic eye drops can only be prescribed by GPs, however, they are overrun due to the COVID-19 crisis. According to the Association of Optometrists Ireland (AOI), optometrists should be granted prescribing rights as they are “available and
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People who need to see optometrists have been reassured that many optometry services remain available, despite the current healthcare crisis caused by COVID-19 (coronavirus). The Association of Optometrists Ireland (AOI) is asking members of the public to call ahead for advice and information, however it said that many of their needs can “continue to be
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Some 41,200 people were waiting for outpatient eye appointments at the end of 2019, compared to 40,600 at the end of 2018 and 39,800 at the end of 2017, new figures have shown. According to the figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), over 17,000 of these people had already been waiting at least
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The most common cause of vision loss in people over the age of 50 is expected to affect 77 million Europeans by 2050, researchers have found. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a painless condition that affects a tiny part of the retina called the macula, which is located in the back of the eye. It
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People with sight loss conditions will have the opportunity to hear about the latest advances being made in this area, and to ask questions to some of the world’s foremost experts, as part of a major conference taking place in Dublin. Retina 2019 is a three-day gathering of researchers and clinicians from all over the
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With Halloween fast approaching, people have been warned to avoid using novelty contact lenses, as these can pose a serious risk to anyone who wears them. The warning was issued by CORU, which is responsible for regulating a number of health professions, including opticians and optometrists. It is also responsible for regulating the sale of
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The number of people waiting to be seen by eye specialists in the public health service has exceeded 50,000, new figures have shown. According to the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), at the end of August, there were 43,700 people on outpatient waiting lists and 8,700 awaiting inpatient eye procedures – a total of 52,400.
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Adults are being reminded of the importance of undergoing regular eye tests ahead of AMD Awareness Week. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of vision loss in people over the age of 50 in Ireland. Around 100,000 people are currently living with the condition here and some 7,000 are newly diagnosed every
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