Member spotlight on Glaucoma UK

About Glaucoma UK

Glaucoma UK is the charity for people with glaucoma. They provide information, support and advice to all those living with glaucoma in the UK, and everyone who cares for them.

Their activity spans three main pillars, working to prevent glaucoma sight loss. They:

  1. Campaign to raise awareness of glaucoma. There are currently 700,000 people in the UK who have glaucoma; half of these individuals don’t know they have it. They want to reach those people and help them get diagnosed.
  2. Help people with glaucoma to live well and stay well by providing support and information to them, their friends and family, and the professionals working with them. With the right support, most people with glaucoma won’t go blind and can retain useful sight.
  3. Fund vital research into the causes and prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.

How do Glaucoma UK help people with glaucoma?

They provide a range of free services to help people living with glaucoma including:

  • A telephone helpline, open Monday to Friday, 9:30am-5:00pm. Run by an ophthalmic nurse. The helpline is there to help with any queries about glaucoma or related conditions, such as dry eye or blepharitis. Call 01233 64 81 70 or email.
  • The Glaucoma UK website holds lots of key information, resources and advice for those who are looking for support.
  • Their information leaflets contain useful tips and advice on living with glaucoma, and are available to order free of charge via their website (or through the helpline, if you don’t have access to the internet)
  • A patient forum, where individuals can chat to other people with glaucoma, share their experiences and ask questions. Visit Health Unlocked.
  • A buddy service for people who might be having surgery or laser treatment, and want to talk to someone who has already experienced the treatment. Contact the helpline for more advice.
  • Help with eye drops, such as compliance aids to help apply eye drops or squeeze the bottle. These are available via the helpline or website
  • Glaucoma support groups, currently being held online not in hospitals or in communities due to COVID-19. The first will run on 4 November 2020 – check the website for more information.

How can Glaucoma UK help local sight loss organisations or other people looking after those with glaucoma?

Glaucoma UK are here to provide support and advice:

  • All of their services are available for professionals or others looking after those with glaucoma.
  • They can provide speakers for events about glaucoma or eye drops. This is currently being offered online, but would also normally be done face-to-face.
  • They can help with running training sessions, for example on how to apply eye drops, so that you can help people to put in their eye drops. They also have compliance boxes available, which contain all the devices available and some guidance information. These are available free of charge to charities and public sector organisations.

Contact Glaucoma UK

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