The eye clinic at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) has been nominated for a national award after outstanding praise from patients.

The clinic’s macular service is in the running for the ‘Clinical service of the year’ award as part of the Macular Society’s Awards for Excellence. The nomination recognises their exceptionally good practice in the care of people with macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects the central vision and is the most common cause of sight loss in the UK. Of the 500,000 people with the condition, 15,000 are estimated to live in the Birmingham area.

‘Clinical service of the year’ is an award for medical staff, teams or services which provide diagnosis or treatment for macular disease, and which demonstrate exceptionally good practice in the care of people with central vision loss.

Helen Palmer, Consultant Ophthalmologist, said: “The whole team and I are ecstatic that the service has been nominated for this award

“The entire team works tirelessly in what is an increasingly busy clinic. For our work to be acknowledged by the society and by Professor White is excellent – thank you.”

Professor Richard White from Birmingham is affected by macular degeneration and nominated the team for the award.

He said: “Helen is not only a very competent consultant ophthalmologist; she is also a compassionate, caring person who is never in a hurry to show me the door. She always finds time to explain the nature of macular degeneration relapses, to demonstrate the OCT appearances, and to answer my questions. She always ensures that I am seen on schedule even if it means squeezing me into an already full clinic or theatre session.

“She works as part of a brilliant team. The whole staff – nurses, OCT technician, receptionists and personal secretaries are helpful, friendly and courteous. Talking to other patients it is clear that everyone, like myself, feels grateful and privileged to be cared for in such a pleasant environment.”

‘Clinical service of the year’ is one of four awards presented by the charity. There are also honours for ‘Support or rehabilitation professional of the year’, ‘Optometrist or optician of the year’ and the ‘Chairman’s award for volunteering.’

The team’s nomination will now be handed over to the judges, who will decide on the overall winners and present them with their awards at the Society’s annual London conference on 27 September.

Tony Rucinski, Chief Executive of the Macular Society, said: “The Macular Service team at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham do an incredible job and we are delighted that they have been recognised for their excellent work.

“It’s amazing to hear how people have made such a difference to the lives of others. There are some fantastic people working within the sector, so it’s great to be able to celebrate their hard work in this way.”

The Macular Society is the national charity for anyone affected by central vision loss. We provide free information and support to improve lives today and we fund research so that one day we can overcome macular disease.

The Macular Society’s annual award scheme has been made possible because of the generous sponsorship of Dolphin Computer Access.