Bayer Ophthalmology Honours launched at Annual Congress 2015
22 May 2015
Bayer launches its new awards programme which aims to recognise and celebrate outstanding work in ophthalmology in the UK
Newbury, Monday 18 May 2015 – A new awards programme, Bayer Ophthalmology Honours, has been launched today by Bayer HealthCare at the Royal College of Ophthalmologists’ Annual Congress. The programme aims to recognise and celebrate, on an annual basis, the outstanding work being carried out by multi-disciplinary teams in ophthalmology throughout the UK. Supported by the Macular Society and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), the awards will identify exceptional initiatives that demonstrate clinical excellence and innovation in ophthalmology.
Commenting on the launch of the awards, Dr Jackie Napier, Medical Director Ophthalmology, Bayer HealthCare said: “At Bayer we are committed to the ophthalmic community and to improving outcomes for patients with sight-threatening eye conditions. Initiatives such as the Bayer Ophthalmology Honours have been developed to recognise excellent patient care and those who deliver it, in order to support and facilitate the sharing of innovation within the clinical community. We hope that this awards programme will be of great value and will continue to support the ophthalmology community for years to come.”
The development of the awards programme has been guided by a steering committee of experts including consultant ophthalmologists, specialist nurses and representatives from the Macular Society and RNIB. Award entries will be judged by the steering committee alongside other experts in ophthalmology care, with the decision-making process being wholly independent from Bayer.
Helen Devonport, Consultant in Ophthalmology, Bradford Royal Infirmary and steering committee member commented: “Patients are at the centre of everything we do and as a community we are always striving to provide the best care we can to achieve optimum clinical outcomes for patients. Bayer Ophthalmology Honours not only supports the sharing of best practice at a clinical level, it also supports the entire multi-disciplinary team that cares for patients from volunteers to essential non-clinical staff. I would encourage everyone in the ophthalmology community to enter the awards and to share the outstanding work that is being carried out across the UK.”
There are five award categories this year including:
- Best ophthalmology team
- Best patient support or education initiative
- Best ophthalmology care innovation
- Outstanding ophthalmology nurse or allied health professional
- Ophthalmology unsung hero
Entries are welcome from anyone working in the field of ophthalmology in the UK. Submissions and / or nominations are welcome from healthcare professionals, non-clinical staff, charities, patient associations, volunteers and patients.
The deadline for applications is Friday 21st August 2015. Award winners will be announced at the Bayer Ophthalmology Honours ceremony, to which all short-listed entrants will be invited, on Wednesday 2nd December 2015.
Further information on the categories and entry process for Bayer Ophthalmology Honours can be found at www.ophthalmologyhonours.co.uk.
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For further information, please contact:
Kim Lemon / Danielle Smith, Liberation Unlimited
Tel: +44 (0)7771 561 079 / +44 (0)7921 717 850
E-mail: klemon@liberationunlimited.com / dsmith@liberationunlimited.com
Karen Tait, Bayer HealthCare
Tel: +44 (0)7432 572 900
Email: karen.tait@bayer.com
Notes to editors:
About Bayer Ophthalmology Honours
Bayer Ophthalmology Honours reflects the mission of Bayer HealthCare, a leader in medical retina, to support science for a better life, improving patient outcomes and showcasing the very best care in the UK. This awards programme demonstrates the commitment of Bayer to support the implementation of good practice in the NHS, resulting in tangible benefits for patients and advancements in ophthalmology care in terms of multi-disciplinary and innovative working.
Bayer Ophthalmology Honours is part of the Bayer Ophthalmology Masterclass which aims to deliver high-quality and valued educational support programmes for the ophthalmology community.
Judging panel
- Augusto Azuara-Blanco, professor of ophthalmology, Queen’s University Belfast
- Helen Devonport, consultant in ophthalmology, Bradford Royal Infirmary
- Clara Eaglen, eye health campaigns manager, RNIB
- Rob Johnston, consultant in ophthalmology, Cheltenham General Hospital
- Sarah Kerr, commissioning pharmacist, West Hampshire CCG
- Jenny Nosek, advanced nurse practitioner in ophthalmology, Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary
- Roshini Sanders, consultant in ophthalmology, Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline
- Cathy Yelf, chief executive, Macular Society
Award categories
Best ophthalmology team
- This award will be given to an ophthalmology team delivering exceptional results by working together to achieve goals. Teams may be clinical, cross-departmental, cross-organisational, multi-disciplinary, management etc.
Best patient support or education initiative
- This award is designed to recognise the development of innovative support / education initiatives that have made a signicant and measureable difference to improve outcomes and quality of life for patients
Best ophthalmology care innovation
- This award is designed to recognise innovations in care via a different approach that have been implemented in eye units to: save money and minimise the effect of reduced budgets; improve patient experience; improve patients’ quality of life; improve patient
- outcome; improve service delivery; whilst maintaining or enhancing the quality of patient care provided
Outstanding ophthalmology nurse or allied health professional
- This award recognises the critical role nurses and allied health professionals play within ophthalmic care and will be awarded to nurse or allied health professional who demonstrates excellence in all aspects of their role while making an outstanding contribution to patient experience
Ophthalmology unsung hero
- This award is to recognise an unsung hero who demonstrates excellence in all aspects of their role while making an outstanding contribution to patient experience. This may include managers, administration staff, cleaners, volunteers etc.
About Bayer HealthCare
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subgroup of Bayer AG with annual sales of around EUR 20.0 billion (2014), is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover, develop, manufacture and market products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Bayer HealthCare has a global workforce of 60,700 employees (Dec 31, 2014) and is represented in more than 100 countries.
The Global Ophthalmology Awards Program (GOAP), currently in its third year, is an integral part of Bayer’s long-term commitment to ophthalmology. Through grants, the GOAP supports research and training in retinal ophthalmology with the aim of advancing the scientific understanding and clinical management of ophthalmic disorders.