The Austin Friars Eye Treatment Centre was developed through a collaboration between Specsavers in Newport, Gwent and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB), part of the UK National Health Service (NHS) in Wales.The Welsh Government-funded centre was opened with the aim of reducing waiting times for assessment, diagnosis and treatment of wet AMD. It was said to be the first high-street optometry practice in the UK to provide initial screening and referrals for people with symptoms of wet AMD, where NHS staff could also deliver treatment for the condition.{{quote-A:R-W:500-I:2-Q: By bringing primary and secondary healthcare providers together to deliver clinical assessments and treatments in a community setting, more patients will benefit because of reduced waiting times and [the practice’s central location]. -WHO:Mr Craig MacKenzie, store optometrist director for Specsavers Newport}}“The purpose-built facility provides much needed additional capacity and will reduce congestion in the main eye clinic at the Royal Gwent Hospital,” Mr Chris Blyth, clinical director and consultant ophthalmologist at ABUHB, stated.“As a result, we expect waiting times and the number of delayed follow-up appointments to reduce. It will greatly improve the quality of service we can offer to people with some of the most common sight-threatening eye diseases in Gwent.”It was said that approximately 20 people suspected of having wet AMD were referred to ABUHB each week, with 1,000 people treated for macular degeneration each year.Specsavers’ optometrists will provide an initial screening service, which is expected to create an additional 1,600 appointments per year. The results of the service will be reviewed virtually by a hospital-based ophthalmologist to speed up the process of diagnosis and referral for treatment.“The speed that someone receives treatment for wet AMD is absolutely crucial,” Mr Craig MacKenzie, store optometrist director for Specsavers Newport, commented. “By bringing primary and secondary healthcare providers together to deliver clinical assessments and treatments in a community setting, more patients will benefit because of reduced waiting times and [the practice’s central location].”The Austin Friars Eye Treatment Centre began treating Gwent residents with wet AMD in Septber and from this month, the centre will additionally offer patient assessments.TRADARK PROGRESSIn other Specsavers news, the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) accepted the company’s application to tradark the terms ‘should’ve’ and ‘shouldve’ on 12 August.{{image3-a:r-w:300}}The terms appear in Specsavers’ advertising slogan ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ and in its online social media marketing campaign in the form of the hashtag #shouldve.As part of the tradark registration process, other parties are able to challenge the IPO’s decision within two months of the application’s publication (ie, until 12 October). However, should the IPO’s approval rain unopposed and the application be successful, rival companies will not be able to use ‘should’ve’ or ‘shouldve’ in their promotional material.The move is Specsavers’ latest effort to protect its branding. In 2014, the company triumphed in a five-year UK tradark battle after winning an appeal that stopped British supermarket group Asda from using an oval-shaped logo similar to Specsavers’.
CR Labs to showcase cutting-edge technology at O-SHOW24
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