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Optometrist nominated for top national award

03/08/2017
This article is more than six years old.
An optometrist from Oxford Eye Hospital has been nominated in the Optician / Optometrist of the Year category for this year's Macular Society Awards for Excellence.

Rasmeet Chadha, who has worked at the Trust since 2000 and is deputy head of optometry, has been recognised for exceptionally good practice in the care of people with macular degeneration. She has also been praised for her work with young people with sight loss and for passing on skills and knowledge to ophthalmology trainees.

She was instrumental in setting up the hospital's Paediatric Low Vision Clinic. The clinic helps to determine how much a child can see, any problems they may be experiencing as a result of sight loss and practical solutions and low vision aids to help them in their day-to-day lives. The clinic forms part of a strong Optometry and multidisciplinary service in Oxfordshire supporting patients with sight loss.

"It's the first time I've been nominated for anything like this and it's really very humbling," says Rasmeet.

"My role is incredibly rewarding, particularly the work I undertake with young people. It's so satisfying when you work with a child over a long period of time and see them overcome the challenges sight loss can present. 

"When they go on and achieve things like finding work or going to university, it makes you feel happy to know you've played a part in helping them to do that."

Now in its ninth year, the Macular Society Awards for Excellence is run by the charity to celebrate the inspirational work done to provide services and care for people with macular disease all over the UK.

The overall winners will be announced at the Macular Society's national annual conference in September 2017.

Cathy Yelf, Chief Executive of the Macular Society, said: "The commitment and dedication Rasmeet has shown in caring for people with sight loss is clear from the tremendous feedback we've received about her work.

"She really has made an incredible difference, especially to the lives of young people living in Oxfordshire who've been affected by sight problems. It's only right that her efforts have been recognised with this richly-deserved nomination."