News Items From West Herts Hospitals Trust (Watford)

2 April 2021

We 3 have items for you today, all from West Herts Hospitals Trust:

1. Corneal topography request from Watford Hospital
Are there any local optometry practices with access to corneal topography machines? The hospital would like to be able to refer patients for a scan (which would be paid for by the hospital), for example in situations where high astigmatism is noted on their biometry and when they need to decide if a toric lens is required.

Currently, there is no corneal topography machine at West Herts and whilst there might be one in the pipeline, it would be good for them to have an alternative solution for the time-being.

2. Observing in Watford Urgent Eye Clinic (UEC)
We have been offered the opportunity for a few practitioners to be able to sit in and observe during the Urgent Eye Clinics at Watford Hospital. In order to gauge the level of interest in this, please could you fill in the Google form HERE if you would be interested in attending.

3. Helping with the Moorfields Eye Hospital FENETRE study
Watford Hospital, part of West Herts Hospitals Trust, would like to become involved in a Moorfields-based research study called FENETRE. They have asked if any community-based optometrist practices with an OCT would be able to help with this, especially those within their catchment area. They are looking at Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration (nAMD) care. Patients with nAMD are currently looked at in hospitals even when the disease is inactive. In this study, they will involve patients with nAMD who have reached this inactive phase of the disease. The study is funded by an NIHR HTA grant.

A few extra details are as follows:

• Participants will need to undertake online training which takes approximately seven hours but is free of charge as it is sponsored by the study.

• You will receive a certificate for completion of the AMD module and accreditation for the study from City University. It is also a credit towards the Prof Cert in Medical Retina.

• Once the module is completed, there is a 30-minute training session with the practice to go through the database and the data forms that need to be completed.

• Any make of OCT is acceptable for the study.

• There is a portal where the images are uploaded and access to this system is provided to those who have completed and passed the module and in the set-up phase.

• The practices will be paid £60.10 for each per patient per visit with roughly a total of 6 visits over a year follow up.

• The number of patients seen per practice is variable and totally dependent on geographical location of patients on the study. However, practices can put a cap on the number of patients they are willing to see if they are concerned about increased workload.

• Patients who do become active or suspicious are referred back to the hospital and are off the study. They will no longer be seen at the practice even if they have not completed a year’s follow up.

Further details are available HERE. The full study protocol is available to download HERE. Any interested practices should complete the site suitability form downloaded from HERE and email it to moorfields.fenetre.study@nhs.net  Any questions can also be emailed to the same address, thank you.

Kind regards

Herts LOC