News

Since opening in late 2009, Centre for Eye Health (CFEH) has become a valued extension to ophthalmic practices throughout NSW and the ACT, and has played an important role in helping to preserve the vision of more than 5,000 ordinary Australians. With over 900 optometrists and ophthalmologists now registered to use the service, and close to 35,000 individual tests performed so far, the focus over the next year will shift towards expanding the Centre’s reach and impact.

In less than two years the ophthalmic community has developed an excellent awareness of the Centre and a solid understanding of how its innovative model complements existing referral pathways. CFEH adds more capacity to the stretched public health system and is an important option for patients who are unable, or unlikely, to access such services.

Says Professor Michael Kalloniatis, Director of CFEH, “Now firmly established, with a world-class clinic and a dedicated team of specially-trained clinical experts in place, it’s time for us to focus our efforts on reaching even more at-risk or undiagnosed people in the community”.

In order to do this, CFEH will this year focus on expanding operational capacity; providing ongoing training in early detection to front-line optometrists; and investigating other options to improve the detection and management of eye disease for people within our community.

The need for sophisticated ocular imaging and assessment will continue to grow in the future. The combination of an increasing and ageing Australian population will mean a significant increase in demand for ophthalmic medical care due to age-related eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.

State-of-the-art new technology can now detect very early eye changes, but only specially-trained ophthalmic clinicians can correctly operate and interpret the results of these instruments. Combined with the high costs of acquisition and maintenance, this technology will not be widely available for some time.  

An innovative partnership between Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and The University of New South Wales), the Centre is an excellent example of how compassion and cross-sector collaboration can make a difference.

“We are proud to be the result of this innovative partnership between the not-for-profit and academic sectors” says Professor Kalloniatis “ and are excited to see the emerging model working in practice. The gap between those who can access advanced imaging, and those who cannot, continues to widen. The health system is stretched, unable to cope in some areas, and as a result people in our own backyard are losing vision unnecessarily”.

Recruitment and training of more clinical staff will be a focus for the next year at CFEH, necessary in order to keep up with demand and maintain the highest standards of care.

Another key priority is to broaden CFEH’s professional development programs for optometrists, empowering and enabling the profession to enhance patient care in their local community.

Consultation and research into a proposed community outreach program will also take place during the year ahead, with Centre staff engaging stakeholders in talks to better understand needs in some of the most disadvantaged communities in NSW and the ACT when it comes to access eye health services.