Eye Care in Focus conference

The Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO) hosted its fourth annual Eye Care in Focus conference at the Gibson Hotel, Dublin, on 1 October.

The 2025 meeting brought together leading eye experts to share the latest developments in eye health and integrated models of care in the specialty. 

The annual Eye Care in Focus Conference is a one-day clinical education conference for the extended eye care team that provides an opportunity for ophthalmologists, optometrists, orthoptists, ophthalmic nurses, and technicians working across community and hospital care to discuss and share areas of their discipline expertise.

A key topic on the agenda was a clinical session on myopia, led by Prof Ian Flitcroft, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street, Dublin, and a leading authority on the causes and management of the condition.

Prof Flitcroft was joined by Dr Michael Moore, Lecturer in Optometry at School of Physics, Clinical and Optometric Sciences Technological University Dublin during which they discussed the development of community care pathways and clear referral criteria of myopia cases to both hospital and community-based services.  

With myopia now affecting a growing proportion of children and young adults worldwide, the session provided eye care professionals with practical guidance to support best practice in management and referral.

Prof Flitcroft also outlined the implications of the European Medicines Agency’s recent approval of low-dose atropine for myopia control, including clinical evidence, prescribing practice, and integration into care pathways. He said while it is a positive development, just prescribing it on its own is not enough and optometrists still cannot prescribe it.

Speaking to the Medical Independent (MI), Prof Flitcroft noted the ever-increasing burden of myopia in children, and the need for improved care pathways and resources to ensure early intervention and thus better outcomes.

He said much of this care could and should be provided in the community setting with a multidisciplinary approach, increasing the utilisation of orthoptists and optometrists in particular.

Prof Flitcroft called on the HSE to improve its approach to child myopia detection and management by including its integration into child health and better resourcing the school vision screening programme.

He also called on the Government to promote the importance of a healthy ‘visual’ diet, and educate parents on the detrimental impact of excess screen time, lack of fresh air, and exercise on children’s visual health. “Myopia is a modern industrial disease and early intervention is really important. The earlier you start, the better the response, and if a child is struggling to see what is on the board at school they really need to get an eye test.”

National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology update

During the meeting, Ms Aoife Doyle, HSE National Clinical Lead for Ophthalmology and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital and St James’s Hospital, Dublin, announced the roll-out of a national standardised cataract-only referral letter which will be made available to referring optometrists and doctors across the six HSE Regional Health Areas.

The new template is designed to streamline the referral process, making it more efficient for healthcare professionals, consultants receiving referrals, and ultimately for patients navigating their care pathway.

Ms Doyle said that experience in the HSE Dublin and North East region, where a standardised cataract referral process is now in operation, has been very positive.

High-volume dedicated cataract theatres are now active in most regions as well as ‘one-stop-shop’ dedicated pre-assessment clinics for cataracts in the community eye care units.

The latter reduce the number of visits (typically three to four) to a single one and shorten the time from listing to cataract surgery, she noted, acknowledging the ongoing rise in demand for cataract surgery nationally.

Language barriers

Another key talk at the conference was on the topic of overcoming language barriers for eye care patients.

This was delivered by Dr Emily Greenan, Surgical Ophthalmology Trainee at the ICO. Dr Greenan’s talk explored the impact of language and communication barriers in ophthalmology, the role of professional and ad hoc interpreters, and how these factors shape patient care, safety, and equitable access to services.

Also at the meeting, podcast hosts Mr John Ferris, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust; and Dermot Keogh, Specialist Optometrist, Keith Holland Clinic, Gloucestershire, UK, spoke to pioneering Irish eye surgeon Mr Patrick Condon about his new book Eye Healthcare – A 90 Year History of Progress and his insights on how ophthalmic healthcare is organised and delivered.

MI has previously featured a full-length interview with Mr Condon, which is available at: www.medicalindependent.ie/in-the-news/news-features/a-lifetime-of-innovation-in-eye-care/