iCare Shetland optometrist shortlisted for top national award
An optometrist from Shetland has been shortlisted for a top national award following high praise from patients.
Linda Gunn is one of the nominees forthis year’s Macular Society Awards for Excellence. Linda, who is anoptometrist and director at ICare Shetland in Lerwick, has beenshortlisted in the Optician or Optometrist of the Year category in recognition of her exceptionally good practice in the care of people with macular disease.
Linda has been working in the eyecaresector since 2003. After spells with well-known high street opticians inboth Aberdeen and Brighton, she moved to Shetland around 10 years ago.
Linda said: “It’s the first time I’veever been shortlisted for anything like this, and I’m so pleased –especially as the nomination came from a patient.
“We do face some fairly uniquechallenges being based in such a remote place, but our practice hasalways looked to push itself clinically and make the best use of newtechnology wherever possible. For example, we’ve had an OpticalCoherence Tomography (OCT) scanner since 2012, which can be used to takeincredibly detailed photos of a patient’s retina.
“It’s incredibly important, not justfor people with macular disease, but for all our patients, that theyhave access to the best and most up-to-date equipment and services wecan offer, especially when we’re so far from the mainland.”
Linda will find out later this monthwhether she has been chosen as one of the winners. If successful, Lindawill be presented with her award at the Macular Society’s nationalannual conference, which takes place at the Leonardo Royal London TowerBridge Hotel in London, on Saturday 21 September.
Now in its 11th year, The MacularSociety Awards for Excellence is run by the charity to celebrate theinspirational work done to provide services and care for people withmacular disease all over the UK.
Optician / Optometrist of the Year isone of four honours handed out by the charity as part of the awards.The category is open to practitioners working in any environment, suchas a high street business, hospital or local society, who provideoutstanding services to people with macular disease. There are alsoprizes for Clinical Service of the Year; Rising Star of the Year, and a Chairman’s Award for Volunteering.
Linda said: “We’re also fortunate thatour practice has a great relationship with the ophthalmology team atAberdeen Royal Infirmary. We can send scans over to them and get advicefrom them very quickly if we need it.
“And the launch of the new macular clinic on Shetland earlier this year has made a massive difference. It means patients with wet age-related macular degeneration, who need regular injections to treat their condition, can have those on the island, rather than having to travel to Aberdeen for treatment, which they have had to do in the past.
“It’s easy to forget that things havechanged in a relatively short space of time. When I first qualified,there was no treatment for any form of macular disease. Now, the wetform of AMD can be treated by injection, while eye drops could besuitable for some patients in future. Clinical trials using stem cells have also shown some really encouraging results.
“I love what I do and it’s a veryexciting time to be involved, especially with all the incredibleresearch projects and trials that are currently under way. They areincreasing our understanding of macular disease and that will hopefullylead to a cure in future.”
Cathy Yelf, chief executive of theMacular Society, said: “The commitment and dedication Linda has shown incaring for people with macular disease is clear from the tremendousfeedback we’ve received about her work.
“She really has made an incredibledifference to the lives of people with macular disease living in herlocal community. It’s only right that her efforts have been recognisedwith this richly-deserved nomination.”
Macular disease is the biggest causeof sight loss in the UK. Nearly 1.5 million people are currentlyaffected and many more are at risk. The disease can have a devastatingeffect on people’s lives, leaving them unable to drive, read or seefaces. Many people affected describe losing their sight as being similarto bereavement. There is still no cure and most types of the diseaseare not treatable. AMD is the most common form of macular disease,affecting more than 600,000 people, usually over the age of 50.
For more information on the Awards for Excellence, or macular disease, call the Macular Society on 0300 3030 111 or email help@macularsociety.org
The Macular Society's work in Scotland is generously supported by grant funders, including the RS Macdonald Charitable Trust.
-Ben