Kings Heath optician short-listed for national award

Mar 19 2008 Submitted by Julie Ellis

PORTLAND Eyecare is a small independent opticians based in Kings Heath. This year we have been short-listed for a national award, this being Healthy Sight Practive 2008.

The entry was based on a number of criteria, the main one being that half of our patients are diabetic and we are only one of two practices in Kings Heath that perform the diabetic eye screening service.

We take digital photographs of the back of the eyes and send them via broadband directly to the diabetic clinic at Selly Oak Hospital enabling a speedy referral for those patients with sight threatening diabetes.

Since diabetes is the largest cause of blindness in the working population in the Western world we feel that this is a worthwhile servece to provide.

To be accredited to provide this service our Optometrist has had to undergo more training and also must see at least 500 diabetics a year. Since she started the screening programme in January 2007 she has seen over 1000 diabetics.

We didn't expect to be shortlisted for the awrard because we are "just doing our job" but we had confirmation of the news two weeks ago.

The whole team from receptionists through to dispensers and the Optometrist will be getting their posh frocks out for a masked ball at the London Hilton Park Lane on the 19th April when the winner will be announced.