Orthoptic services
Ophthalmology
Orthoptists are health care professionals who specialise in assessing and treating visual conditions in adults and children, specialising in eye movement and binocular vision problems (when both eyes do not coordinate with each other). We examine and treat patients of all ages but have a particular interest and expertise in the examination and assessment of children.
The treatment techniques available to us include the use of patches or other methods of occlusion to reduce the visual input to one eye with the aim of promoting improved vision in the other; the use of prisms and glasses to control double vision of strabismus; and the use of exercises to promote and maintain binocular vision.
We also advise our ophthalmologist colleagues about when surgery might be used most effectively in strabismus management.
Our services
Our Orthoptic services deliver the following:
- Diagnosis and management of squints, refractive errors and amblyopia in children
- Diagnosis of ocular motility disorders in adults leading to immediate treatment or onward referral
- Direct linkage to the Neurology Service allowing treatment of double vision in patients with complex neurology problems without needing a referral to the ophthalmologist
- Direct access to patients on the stroke ward following a referral from the Stroke Physician
- Visually impaired clinics for children with severe visual difficulties run in conjunction with a consultant paediatrician and a teacher for the visually impaired
- Secondary visual screening of pre-school children held in GP Surgeries and Health Centres following a referral from a GP or Health Visitor
- Treatment with coloured filters for people found to have treatable reading difficulties
- Diagnosis and treatment of patients with double vision referred from the emergency eye clinic.
Our specialist team
- Dawn Robinson - Senior Orthoptist
Useful documents links
The following document may also be of interest to you:
Go to the Ophthalmology overview page.