Optometrists: we need you to help us research the sight loss care of the future - Craig Spalding

Craig Spalding, Chief Executive of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans

For the 180,000 people in Scotland living with a visual impairment, and the many more individuals who will be diagnosed with a sight loss condition in the coming years, the ability to detect sight loss conditions at the earliest stages is paramount for better outcomes of treatments.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of sight loss in the UK. Affecting central vision, this disease can make day-to-day tasks such as reading, cooking or even recognising faces extremely difficult or even impossible for some in its later stages. At Sight Scotland we support people affected by visual impairment every day; we understand the huge challenges sight loss can bring.

When it comes to diseases such as AMD, which causes vision to deteriorate over time, early-stage diagnosis can present the opportunity to prevent or hinder further sight loss with treatment or lifestyle interventions for some patients. With the number of people with sight loss in Scotland set to rise to over 200,000 in the next decade, it’s never been more urgent for us to propel research into learning more about the early signs and progression of eye conditions and set about developing new technologies and treatments.

That’s why Sight Scotland is funding some of the most pioneering research projects in Scotland. We are privileged in that the country is home to some of the world’s leading projects in eye health research with the potential to innovate treatments and care for sight loss conditions, as well as in research and education.

Sight Scotland and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) recently hosted an event showcasing the progress to date of one such ground-breaking venture. Scottish Collaborative Optometry-Ophthalmology Network e-Research (SCONe) – a joint venture between the University of Edinburgh and Glasgow Caledonian University – aims to build a Scotland-wide retinal image research resource. Funded by Sight Scotland, RCSEd, Chief Scientist Office (CSO), Edinburgh & Lothians Health Foundation (ELHF), and The RS Macdonald Charitable Trust, SCONe has begun to develop a network of optometrists, ophthalmologists and researchers to gather and evaluate thousands of retinal images for research into sight loss conditions.

This retinal image research resource, which does not share any personal identifiable data with researchers, could lead the way to development of new technologies in order to detect eye diseases such as AMD in the earliest stages, inform and connect both primary and secondary eye care and improve the lives of eye patients.

There’s been exciting progress for this project in the last year. In October 2021 SCONe obtained approval from NHS Scotland’s Public Benefit and Privacy Panel for Health and Social Care – the patient privacy panel which scrutinises applications for access to NHS Scotland data for non-direct care. Following strict governance and security protocols in line with the Scottish Government Charter for Safe Havens, the project’s first phase, proof of concept, has recently seen the successful, safe and secure transfer of around 30,000 retinal images from four optometry practices in Scotland to the National Safe Haven – a high-powered computing and analysis facility run by Public Health Scotland.

This image bank will soon represent one of the biggest community-acquired repositories in the world, holding the long-term potential to benefit not only patients in Scotland but have global impact for people with eye disease.

SCONe is appealing for more optometrists in Scotland to join their venture. True to Sight Scotland’s mission to ‘tackle vision loss together’, the charity is proud to support SCONe as a funder. By getting involved with SCONe, optometrists can play their part in progression of eye health research, future treatments and world-class care for people facing life-changing eye conditions.

To find out more about this essential project and how optometrists can get involved, visit the SCONe website: www.ed.ac.uk/clinical-sciences/ophthalmology/scone

Craig Spalding, Chief Executive of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans