Ophthalmology
We provide a wide range of treatments for adult and paediatric eye disease. We are one of the country's leading centres for paediatric cancers of the eye.
Retinoblastoma service
Retinoblastoma service
Our retinoblastoma service at The Royal London Hospital is the only centre in the south of England (and one of only two in the country) that can screen, diagnose and treat retinoblastoma.
Vitreoretinal care
Vitreoretinal care
If you have a condition affecting the retina or the gel-like fluid in your eye (called the vitreous), you may need specialised treatment or surgery. At Whipps Cross Hospital, we offer expert care for conditions such as:
- Retinal detachment
- Diabetic eye disease
- Macular holes
- Epiretinal membranes
- Vitreomacular traction
Our vitreoretinal clinics run on Mondays and Wednesdays, and surgery takes place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
We’ll explain everything clearly and work with you to choose the best treatment for your condition.
Our services also include:
- Eye surgery unit for day-care treatments
- Outpatient Care (Cataract, Glaucoma, Medical Retina, Ocular Immunology, General Ophthalmology, Lid and Lacrimal, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Low-Vision, Contact Lens)
- Optical services including adult and paediatric orthoptic service
- Multi-disciplinary Facial Trauma clinic
- Specialist Retinoblastoma Service
- Glaucoma Monitoring service
- Diagnostic services such as Fluorescein Angiography, Indocyanine Green Angiography, Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography, Retinal Photography, Nasal Endoscopy, Visual field Analysis
- Treatments (Intravitreal injections, YAG and retinal lasers)
Get one-to-one support
Living with sight loss or an eye condition can be overwhelming. Our Eye Care Liaison Officer (ECLO) offers one-to-one support to help you understand your condition, explore your options, and find practical ways to live well.
Whether you've recently been diagnosed, are undergoing treatment, or have been living with sight loss for some time, our ECLO is here to listen, offer advice, and connect you with the right support.
How we can help:
Our ECLO can support you with:
- Understanding your eye condition and what it means for you
- Coping with the emotional impact of sight loss
- Information on welfare benefits you may be entitled to
- Support for staying in work or finding a job
- Help accessing rehabilitation services and low vision aids
- Advice for children and young people in education settings
- Guidance on registration as blind or partially sighted and the benefits that come with it
- Connecting you with local and national support groups and voluntary organisations
We’re also here for your family and carers, who may need support too.
Get in touch
To speak with the ECLO, simply ask a member of staff at your next eye clinic appointment or call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 and ask for the Whipps Cross Eye Clinic Liaison Officer.
General appointment queries:
Whipps Cross Hospital: 020 8535 6768
The Royal London Hospital: 020 7767 3200
Need emergency eye care?
If you’re experiencing a serious eye problem – like sudden vision loss, flashes of light, or eye pain – our emergency eye team at The Royal London Hospital is here to help.
We care for people with urgent eye symptoms, as well as patients who have eye injuries from serious accidents or eye problems linked to other medical conditions.
If you need to stay in hospital for further care, you’ll be admitted to a specialist ward we share with other head and neck teams, including maxillofacial (face and jaw), ENT (ear, nose and throat), and plastic surgery. This means you’ll be cared for by experts who understand the full picture of your health.
We use the latest technology
Our Eye Treatment Centre at The Royal London Hospital is fully equipped with the latest technology to help diagnose and treat a wide range of eye conditions with accuracy and care.
Some of the advanced equipment we use includes:
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YAG and argon lasers – used for precise, high-quality eye treatments
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Swept source OCT scanning – for detailed imaging of the back of the eye, helping us spot issues earlier and in more depth
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Corneal topography – a non-invasive way to create a detailed map of the cornea (the clear front part of the eye)
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Digital eye imaging – in our clinical photography suite, we use the Topcon system to help detect eye diseases with techniques like FFA (fluorescein angiography) and ICG (indocyanine green angiography)
Specialist care for adults with learning disabilities
We also run a specialist clinic for adults with learning disabilities who need hospital-based care. Based at The Royal London Hospital, this award-winning clinic is designed with the needs of this patient group in mind – offering personalised support and reasonable adjustments to help every patient feel safe, comfortable and understood.
For patients
The eye is an intricate structure. You may need to be seen by a number of different specialists and undergo a series of tests, so that we can accurately assess, diagnose and then manage your condition.
Multidisciplinary Working
We provide planned and emergency care for patients with eye disease and visual problems. Eye problems frequently occur in conjunction with other medical conditions or trauma – and we have a great deal of experience in treating patients of all ages with complex needs.
Our team consists of ophthalmologists (specialists in eye diseases), orthoptists (specialists in binocular vision and eye movement abnormalities), optometrists (experts in vision), nurses, medical photographers, a dispensing optician and supporting health professionals.
We work in a multi-disciplinary team so that patients can be seen by a number of different specialists and experience the best possible outcomes.
The team also works in collaboration with specialists in:
For clinicians
Patients with emergency medical problems should seek referral via their GP or the local Emergency Department. The clinical care of patients admitted in an emergency is shared between our acute medicine and general medicine teams.
Referring patients
If you are a GP or other referring clinician and wish to refer a patient to services at Barts Health, please use the information for each of our sites provided below.
Referring patients to The Royal London Hospital
- Clinics available at The Royal London Hospital are:
- Paediatric Ophthalmology
- Retinoblastoma
- General Ophthalmology
- Cataract
- Cornea/Anterior Segment
- Lid and Lacrimal
- Medical Retina
- Glaucoma
- Neuro-ophthalmology
- Ocular-Immunology
- Adults with Learning Disabilites
Referrals can be sent to Ophthalmology Secretaries team:
Ophthalmology Secretaries
Royal London Hospital
Whitechapel
E1 1BB
Telephone:
0203-594-2761
0203-594-2755
0203-594 -2747
Fax: 0203-594-3269
Patients can also be referred to us by Choose and Book (for first outpatient appointments) or you can send or fax a letter to our Outpatients Appointments Centre:
Outpatients Appointments Office
Barts Health,
1st Floor, 9 Prescot Street,
London E1 8PR
Tel: 020 7767 3200 (8.30am-5pm, Monday to Friday)
Fax: 020 7791 9670
Email: appointments@bartshealth.nhs.uk
Requests for advice and guidance can be submitted through Choose and Book. A clinician will respond to this within three working days.
Out-of-hours and emergency referrals
Emergency referrals can be made through the on-call Ophthalmology doctor via switchboard, on: 020 7377 7000
