Ophthalmology

Our Ophthalmology Genomic Community of Practice (CoP) is one of several CoPs we are currently supporting. See below for further details, including future meetings and how to join.

Lead Clinician

Mervyn Thomas, Clinical Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Who is this CoP for?

Ophthalmologists
Orthoptists
Optometrists
Electrophysiologists
Clinical Geneticists
Genetic Counsellors/Associates

About this Community of Practice

The East Midlands currently lacks a bespoke ocular genetics service, creating a significant gap in the pathway for patients requiring genomic diagnostics and therapeutic interventions for inherited retinal diseases (IRDs).

With the availability of NICE-approved subretinal gene therapy (Luxturna) for RPE65- associated retinal dystrophy, there is a clear need to improve equity of access to genetic testing and streamline referrals for eligible patients.

A CoP in this clinical area will provide a platform:

to upskill multidisciplinary teams
foster collaboration across the region
promote best practices
support timely access to innovative treatments
ultimately increase diagnostic yield

Meeting schedule

Meetings take place on the FOURTH Friday of every month, 12.30pm - 1.30pm.

Upcoming meetings:

Friday 29 May 2026: Bardet-Biedl syndrome and findings from a recent retrospective cohort of BBS1-retinopathy (opens in a new tab)

Catch up on previous sessions

Meeting recordings and slides

Please note: If you haven't already, you will need to register for an NHS Future account and request access to view the resources.

Non-urgent advice: Join this Community of Practice

To join this - or any of our Genomic Communities of Practice - please register (or update) your details via our form here.

Please ensure to select the Community of Practice that you wish to join.