A novel approach to expanding the role of nurses to deliver intravitreal injections for patients with age-related macular degeneration

Sunderland Eye Infirmary serves a patient population marked by a higher-than-average incidence and prevalence of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Over the past years, a graduated multidisciplinary approach has been taken to maximise patient management capacity through implementation of AMD triage clinics, nurse-led wet AMD review clinics and optometrist-led OCT clinics for monitoring and assessment. This team-based approach has created added flexibility in the service to ensure efficient and effective delivery of AMD treatment. To extend capacity and flexibility, further SEI has recently introduced independent nurse-led intravitreal anti-VEGF injection lists enabling consultants to focus increasingly on complex pathology, poor responders and other high-risk patients. This article discusses this process to meet the AMD capacity challenge in a busy eye hospital.