Specsavers raises funds for premature babies' eyecare

Specsavers staff raised £73,000, which they donated to the Simpsons Special Care Babies (SSCB) charity to buy a PanoCam for the neonatal unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. 

Premature babies are at high risk of retinopathy of prematurity, which can cause blindness – they need their eyes checked regularly due to rapid changes in eye development, in what would have been the last three months of pregnancy. The PanoCam provides a much quicker and safer way to examine children’s eyes offering multiple imaging modalities.

Staff at the unit are currently being trained in using the PanoCam which, as well as being used to examine premature babies, can also be used to detect ocular tumours in older children. Mercedes Perez-Botella, Directory of Midwifery, NHS Lothian, says: “We are delighted that the PanoCam will soon be operational at the Simpson Centre. Retinopathy is a prevalent problem for babies who are born prematurely and we hope that this new equipment will help our neonatal doctors to promptly identify any deterioration in the baby’s retina and act accordingly to prevent damage. I am sure parents will also welcome this addition as it will provide them with extra reassurance about the high level of care their babies will get while in the neonatal unit.”

M.E.D Surgical, the company which supplies the Visunex PanoCam Pro, usually charge £113,000 but generously contributed £40,000 to make Specsavers’ fundraising target of £73k more attainable.