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RCOphth Annual Report 2020: a year of challenge, collaboration, and innovation

19 August 2021

In the Annual Report 2020, Bernie Chang, President of The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) praises the commitment shown by all ophthalmologists who battled daily to deliver eye care services for patients during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read the Annual report 2020

Introducing the report, Professor Chang also highlights the increased collaboration across the profession and between the RCOphth and members as a positive consequence despite the enormous challenges caused by the pandemic.

Innovative technology and ways of working

During 2020, the RCOphth promoted guidance on the use of innovative technology and ways of working to support members as they continued working to deliver vital services to patients. The annual report shows how the response to Covid-19 accelerated the use of technology and new models of care across eye health services, and transformed services which are continuing today.

Collaboration for safety and learning

As well as moving fast to develop advice on PPE and guidance on safe delivery of services for patients, including the Covid Urgent Eye Care Services Specification (CUES); the RCOphth worked to safeguard and maintain learning opportunities for ophthalmologists in training, producing new guidance on ‘Mitigating the effects of Covid-19 on Ophthalmologists in Training’.

You can read the Annual report 2020 in full and find out more about the work of the RCOphth in 2020 including:

  • Rapidly transformed the way exams are delivered, from written to computer-based exams taken at a place of the candidate’s choosing
  • Delivered the FRCOphth Part2 Oral using videos of patients
  • Continued to run courses in the RCOphth Skills Centre, maintaining social distancing
  • Ran webinars, seminars, committee meetings, the AGM and handover from the previous president Mike Burdon to the current, Bernie Chang online
  • Expanded the prestigious National Ophthalmology Database Audit, to start the pilot audit of services for patients with Age related macular degeneration
  • Developed the Ophthalmic Community Clinical Competency Framework (OCCCF) into the Ophthalmic Practitioners Training (OPT) programme for the allied graduate professionals.