19 July 2010
Miss Clare Bailey, a consultant ophthalmologist at the Bristol
Eye Hospital has been nominated to receive the best practitioner of
the year award in the clinical services category from the Macular
Disease Society, for the untiring work she does with the visually
impaired.
According to Mrs. Kitts, head of Bristols Macular Disease Group,
Clare Bailey is much appreciated by all her patients at the Bristol
Eye Hospital for both her professional expertise and her warm and
friendly personality. She knows everybody by name despite the fact
that she sees hundreds of different patients a month. She makes you
feel as though you are the only person in the world when she is
treating you, not to mention the wonderful work she did in liaising
with the local Primary Care Trusts to obtain early funding for use
of the drug Lucentis, prior to the final NICE guidance recommending
its use.
Miss Bailey is also implementing further patient support at the
hospital to lessen the anxieties of newly diagnosed patients. The
work she does is truly wonderful.
Miss Bailey and her team at the Bristol Eye Hospital currently
see and treat over 650 patients with wet macular degeneration per
month in a rapidly expanding service, as well as assessing many
others with dry macular degeneration and other retinal disorders.
According to Miss Bailey, Its a great honour to be nominated and
inspiring to have support for the service we run. We have a
fantastic team of imaging technicians, nurses, doctors and
administrative staff at Bristol Eye Hospital who make all of this
possible. We have designed our clinics to offer our patients a one
stop service where they are able to have their assessment and
treatment all in one visit. We also undertake research to
strive to improve the treatments for our patients.
The awards scheme began last year and due to its success The
Macular Disease Society, a national charity which supports people
with MD, has decided to make the awards an annual event. More than
half a million people are thought to be affected by MD in the UK,
most of them over the age of 65. MD destroys a persons
central vision meaning they cannot drive, read or recognise
faces.
The Macular Disease Societys Chief Executive, Helen Jackman,
said: Macular Disease can be a life-altering condition, but it
doesnt have to be life-ending. Often people with MD are able to
enjoy life and make the best of their vision because of the
wonderful work so many people do. There are doctors, nurses, eye
clinic staff, rehabilitation workers, fundraisers and volunteers to
whom we want to say thank you. These awards are to recognise
the excellent work which goes on and I am delighted that Clare has
been nominated.
The winners will receive their awards at the Societys conference
in London on 25th September 2010.
For details of local Macular Disease Society (MDS) groups and
meetings - or any other information about MD - please call the MDS
helpline on 0845 241 2041.
Ends
