A consultant paediatric ophthalmologist, Louise, was nominated by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and North East Cambridgeshire MP, Stephen Barclay; South Cambridgeshire MP, Anthony Browne; Culture, Media and Sport Secretary and South East Cambridgeshire MP Louise Frazer; and Hertford and Stortford MP, Julie Marson MP.
Among Louise’s inventions is a device which could change the way that babies and children are screened for cataracts and an aggressive cancer called retinoblastoma, saving vision and lives.
Neocam, a digital camera, makes eye screening easier for GPs and midwives, and could transform management of childhood eye conditions world-wide.
Louise also developed DigiVis Online, a prototype web-based application enabling patients as young as four to self-assess their vision at home, with the help of parents or carers. Home monitoring of vision supports the early detection of treatable eye problems and reduces hospital eye clinic attendances. The commercial version, DigiVis DVA, is now in clinical use at CUH.
The nomination for the NHS Parliamentary Awards was made at the request of one of the families under Louise’s care at CUH.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is for an individual who has worked within a health or care setting for 40 years or more who has left a legacy.
It seeks to honour those who have given their life to the NHS and have left it – whether just in their area or nationally – a better service for patients and/or a better place to work for those who will follow them.
Louise said: “As a career NHS paediatric ophthalmologist in Cambridge, I am proud that a family I have looked after for many years proposed me for this nomination. It is incredibly rewarding to have supported so many children with vision and eye problems from infancy to adulthood during my career.”
“Having seen first-hand the tragedy of avoidable childhood sight loss due to late detection of eye disease, I have developed, tested and implemented several digital innovations. Through innovation we can reduce health inequality, improve efficiency to reduce clinic waiting times and prevent lifelong visual impairment.”
