Royal Surrey Eye Specialist Nominated for National Award

Published on: 20 May, 2013
Updated on: 20 May, 2013

Simon Taylor a consultant at the Royal Surrey County Hospital who has been nominated for a Macular Society Award nomination.

An eye specialist based at the Royal Surrey County Hospital has been nominated for a national award after outstanding praise from patients.

Simon Taylor, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, and his eye clinic team are 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 affects the central vision and is the most common cause of sight loss in the UK. More people are affected as our population ages.

‘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.

Mr Taylor said: “I am delighted that we have been nominated for this award and am especially proud of the positive feedback from our patients. We are continuing to invest in our clinical service at the Royal Surrey, and the integration of new clinical trials into our department has also enabled us to drive progress into the study of macular degeneration and other macular diseases. We aim to provide the very latest treatments for our patients in order to improve the quality of life of those with this disease.”

In recommendations for Mr Taylor and his team, they are described as caring, efficient and a team that works with consideration.

The 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 September 28.

‘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.’

Helen Jackman, Chief Executive of the Macular Society, said: “Simon Taylor and his team do an incredible job in Surrey 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.

Mayor Diana Lockyer-Nibbs is a sufferer of macular degeneration disease

Cllr Diana Lockyer-Nibbs, the current Mayor of Guildford, who suffers from macular degeneration, said: “I am delighted to hear about Mr. Taylor’s nomination and the advancement to treatment if macular disease. I have suffered with this disease in both eyes for over ten years.

“I have chosen Surrey Association for Visual Impairment (SAVI) as my charity because they have been a tremendous support. At the close of my Mayoral Year, I shall be holding a ball for SAVI at GLive.”

For information, advice or support concerning macular disease, contact the Macular Society’s helpline on 0300 3030 111 or email help@macularsociety.org