Moorfields unveils new one-day course on setting up a nurse-led intravitreal injection service

Recruitment is now open for the first course in the UK on how to set up a nurse-delivered intravitreal injection service.  It will be held on Friday December 5 at Moorfields Eye Hospital in central London. 

The course builds on Moorfields’ experience of implementing a nurse-delivered service of this kind, and draws on the expertise in clinical care, education and research of the consultants, senior nurses and management staff who were involved in establishing the facility – initially as pilot project and subsequently as a fully operational service. Moorfields has now trained 30 of its own senior nursing staff and 10 are undergoing training in intravitreal injections.

The one-day programme aims to bridge the gap between theory and practical skills for experienced ophthalmic nursing professionals working in a medical retina setting, focusing on the treatment of age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion and diabetic oedema either in the UK or overseas.

The inclusion of a practical wet lab session where delegates can experience the injection process at first hand ensures that the knowledge-base is related to experience of clinical conditions in the workplace.

Further components will enable delegates to enhance their understanding of the knowledge base and medico–legal and governance issues involved in establishing and running such a service, by examining indemnity, consent, corporate and clinical governance issues and the audit process.

The training considerations required for identifying senior nursing and medical staff to establish a service, as well as issues relating to planning, implementation, funding and supervision will also be addressed.

Delegates will also be able to put their questions to senior executive staff who are leading some of the sessions, including Moorfields’ medical director Declan Flanagan and director of nursing and allied health professionals Tracy Luckett.

Moorfields’ lead AMD consultant Robin Hamilton will welcome delegates and lead the opening session on the external context of the service.

Explaining why there has been a need for change, Robin says: “With the increasing demand for treatment for people with eye conditions such as diabetic macular oedema, retina vein occlusion  and age-related macular degeneration, the demands on NHS services will increase exponentially.  With this will come the need to train more specialist nurses to deliver intravitreal injections under the supervision of a consultant. “We expect the course to fulfil a definite need in the training market and by sharing our own experience and knowledge, we hope to support other organisations in coping with rising demands for these services and ensure that patients can be treated in a timely fashion, free-ing up consultants to supervise both nursing staff and junior doctors and to make high level decisions on clinical issues.”    

Adam Mapani, Moorfields’ first nurse consultant, who will run one of the sessions, said: “We know there is huge interest and demand from other trusts and overseas health organisations for a course of this type. We have been able to draw upon the expertise of both senior nursing and medical staff to devise this course which offers a range of content as well as a practical session.

“The emphasis of the programme will be on relating training knowledge to clinical practice and care, whilst providing grounding in areas such as governance. indemnity and consent and all the other important areas that underpin the establishment of a nurse-led service. We are delighted that we have been able to develop such a comprehensive course for the ophthalmic nursing profession to benefit from.” 

The course will be held on Friday December 5 2014.  Registration is via email only to Adam.Mapani@moorfields.nhs.uk. The course cost is £250 and the closing date for applications is 1 December 2014. The venue is the clinical tutorial complex at Moorfields Eye Hospital, City Road, London EC1V.