Macular and Medical Retina Services

What this service does

The team in this service treats conditions at the back of the eye, which are treated medically using drugs, eye drops or lasers, and includes diabetic eye screening. 

Conditions treated by clinicians in this service include age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy, retinal blood vessel blockages and inflammation at the back of the eye (uveitis).

 Over the past fifteen years there have been huge changes in the way retinal disease and uveitis is treated. We now have a range of injectable drugs which control wet macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease and retinal vein occlusion which can be delivered in an outpatient setting. We have also seen new technologies developed to diagnose and monitor disease activity including OCT retinal scanning, angiography and community based diabetic eye screening. Inflammatory eye disease is now amenable to treatment with immune suppressants also used in rheumatology such as methotrexate and antiTNF drugs. Even when advanced disease causes significant visual loss, the growth of assistive technologies such as digital magnification, e-readers and smart phones can be transformative in terms of rehabilitation. We are lucky to have our Eye Clinic Liaison Officer from the RNIB based within the outpatient reception area to advise, support and signpost patients to community support if needed.

In the future we hope to provide new treatments as they become available, and improve referral pathways to hasten access to diagnosis and treatment. As OCT retinal scanning becomes more widely available it will be possible to move some diagnostic and follow-up services closer to home and longer acting drugs may mean less frequent injection visits.

Consultants who work in this service: Mr O Anderson, Mrs N Matthews, Mr H Tossounis

ECLO: Ms Wendy Wade

How do I make an appointment with this service?

You should see your GP or optician to assess your condition.  If he or she decides that your eye condition needs to be investigated by more specialist staff, they will arrange for you to have an outpatient appointment. If you choose to be treated at Bournemouth Ophthalmology Department, we will send you a letter confirming the date, time and location of your appointment with us. 

Other useful contacts

For treatment for urgent, sight-threatening problems and for issues that cannot wait for a routine appointment, your GP can refer you to our Eye Emergency department in Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

If you have already been referred to the unit, you can also get information from our secretaries.