VISION 2020 UK press release: Quality standard developed for people with sight loss and dementia in an ophthalmology department
28 January 2016
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists and the VISION 2020 UK Dementia and Sight Loss Committee have developed a quality standard to help eye clinics and ophthalmology departments provide high quality care for patients with dementia.
Patients with dementia and their carers can benefit from being identified in advance of attending their appointment in order for eye clinic staff to be aware of and identify ways to best support the needs of these patients. The quality standard identifies simple and easy steps that can be taken to enable services to be designed and adapted to meet the needs of people with dementia.
Seven quality statements have been designed based on the NICE format for quality standards to help ophthalmology departments assess their services.
These seven statements address staff training, support to participate in decisions about care, the design of clinical areas, waiting times and appointment durations, provision of information, assessment of vision and referral for support.
Paul Ursell, Consultant Ophthalmologist at The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, Consultant at Epsom & St Helier University NHS Trust and VISION 2020 UK Dementia and Sight Loss Committee member, commented “This piece of work highlights the breadth of what should be considered in providing care to patients with dementia in an eye clinic requires liaison between the patient, carers, all staff, managers, and commissioners of care within the care pathway.”
To view the full Quality standard please visit: