A SOPHISTICATED scanner which helps to diagnose glaucoma has been donated to the Hospital of St Cross by the Friends of St Cross charity.
The Glaucoma team at St Cross has taken delivery of a £52,000 Ocular Coherance Tomography (OCT) Scanner which enables Ophthalmic Technicians to examine patients and produce a report for a consultant to assess whether or not they require specialist intervention or regular monitoring of their condition.
Recently retired Glaucoma Consultant Dr Rosemary Robinson highlighted to the charity that glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, that it affects 10 per cent of people over 75 years of age, and that half of them do not know they have it, affecting their treatment options when it is discovered.
Dr Robinson said: “This equipment is the cornerstone of an expanded diagnosis and treatment service at St Cross.
“The OCT scanner measures the thickness of the retina around the rim of the optic nerve which becomes thin with glaucoma due to loss of nerve fibres.
“Before this equipment was donated, the closest hospital for 25 per cent of the UHCW Trust’s Glaucoma patients was Rugby. However, St Cross provided less than 10 per cent of the Trust’s Glaucoma activity, which meant that a significant number of patients had to go to Coventry.”
Doctor Muneer Otri, Consultant Opthalmic Surgeon, who has taken over as the lead consultant for glaucoma at Rugby, added: “This equipment has enabled us to improve the Glaucoma Pathway. The patient experience has been enhanced by having all their investigations done at one time and the consultants now have more time to spend with the patients at higher risk of deteriorating vision.”
Willy Goldschmidt, Chairman of the Friends of St Cross, said: “Dr Robinson quite literally opened the Trustees’ eyes to the nature and impact of glaucoma.
“We had no hesitation in supporting this £52,000 request which not only expands a much needed service at St Cross, but improves the patient experience. I was delighted to hear that the equipment is already in use full time.”
