Formal NHS Scotland partner InnoScot Health is backing this year’s World Sight Day aim of addressing vision issues early through innovative approaches which could be “life changing” for youngsters

On Thursday 10 October, the annual awareness campaign will focus on the importance of optimising early years eye care and inspiring children and young people everywhere to #LoveYourEyes.

World Sight Day – organised by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) – believes that recognition of vision impairment and swiftly actioning solutions can have “a great impact on a child’s education and future success in all facets of life”.

Helping to attain that goal, the campaign will foreground several fresh initiatives designed to raise awareness, including what it calls ‘Global Action for Eye Health’ – a news-style programme exploring innovations in vision care, accessibility, and equity.

This will offer education on digital transformation in optometry, sustainable practices, and community engagement, with health service ophthalmologists being key ambassadors.

InnoScot Health is offering innovation support to NHS Scotland staff through its ophthalmology call, inspiring fresh ideas in this priority area.

The organisation is looking for innovations that could be developed into a new product, improving diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. It is open to new ideas, whether simple or complex, from any NHS board across Scotland.

Head of Innovation at InnoScot Health, Robert Rea said: “World Sight Day primarily aims to provide a generation of children with the information they need to help protect their eyes, facilitated by progressive thinking.

“While it campaigns for early interventions to be accessible and affordable, we believe our ophthalmologists, alongside those in support roles, can also play their part by using their surgical expertise to identify where issues in delivery lie while offering innovative solutions.

“They routinely encounter those challenges and know best where fresh thinking can prove most effective.”

“Great strides have been made in recent years, as the ophthalmology team at Ninewells Hospital demonstrates. Thanks to smart thinking, it now carries out simultaneous bilateral surgery on patients with cataracts in both eyes, allowing the completion of up to 50 cataract procedures daily – but more of those breakthroughs are undoubtedly needed.”

A recent report published by MedTech company Glaukos UK presented the challenges of ophthalmic care in Scotland, highlighting shortages of ophthalmologists, growing waiting lists, and underutilisation of new surgical technologies.

The findings were published following a Scottish Parliament roundtable event in March where NHS ophthalmologists were present and called for greater collaboration between the sector and the government to “significantly improve patient outcomes” and “mitigate economic strain on the healthcare system caused by inadequate eye care”.

Recognising collaboration as a key enabler for innovation, the InnoScot Health team offers a wealth of experience gained during its 22 years of working alongside NHS innovators.

Robert said: “InnoScot Health understands that pressured ophthalmologists may consider innovation challenging to balance alongside both professional and personal demands.

“The organisation is a collaborative partner that helps NHS Scotland staff take forward their ideas by offering its support and expertise right through the development cycle.

“We are highly experienced in helping progressive thinkers find their way and achieve their ambitions in rapidly evolving ophthalmology.”

InnoScot Health also seeks out appropriate funding for projects, helping to share opportunities and tailor applications for the best possible chance of success.

In the field of ophthalmology, the team highlights grants of up to £30,000 from the Fight for Sight charity, offered to organisations across the UK which are aiming to transform the lives of children and young people who are blind and vision impaired.

Fight for Sight is seeking applications by Thursday 14 October “from projects that support and empower children and young people with the tools to live independent and fulfilling lives”.

A spokesperson for Fight for Sight said: “Specifically, we are interested in work that builds social, digital and self-advocacy skills, so that vision impaired children and young people feel connected with each other, with their sighted peers, and with the wider communities around them.

“We know that provision differs across the country and particularly welcome applications from organisations who are collaborating in order to share best practice, deliver at scale or meet previously unmet need.”

Applicants must directly support people who are blind and vision impaired or those who are at risk of losing sight.