Blind and partially sighted people in West London share stories of vital eye clinic support service

When patients at King’s College Hospital are diagnosed with sight loss, they can be sure of essential support from the clinic’s ECLO, Kerry Brown who is employed by RNIB in partnership with the NHS.

Over the past year alone, Kerry has provided invaluable information, advice, practical support, and emotional assistance to 346 patients and 110 relatives and carers affected by sight loss. There have also been 190 occasions where NHS professionals have received quick advice or information from an ECLO.

Kerry, who has been an ECLO at King’s College Hospital for five years, offers patients emotional support at what can be an incredibly difficult time, with a range of practical support such as registering for their Certificate of Visual Impairment, and accessing other services to support with benefit application, testing and using technology and getting around.

Arkadiusz Ambroszkiewicz, from Brixton, used to manage the VIP section at an upmarket London hotel as a concierge to wealthy celebrities and businesspeople until he lost his sight in 2024 after having a stroke.

Mr Ambroszkiewicz, 56, said: “It was a very exciting job. I was the guy for all the famous people. Everyday there would be paparazzi outside. Losing my sight, it was a very shocking time. I was always very independent and very hard working and suddenly your life is turned upside down. You really don’t know what you are supposed to do.

Of Kerry’s vital support, Mr Ambroszkiewicz said: “When I first met Kerry, she made me feel like a human being, not a patient. She was very supportive and it felt like I had known her for years. She gave me her business card with her number and showed me that I would not be alone.

“One of the first things Kerry did was to help me work out financial options. We started slowly because I was in shock and had never had to do anything like this before. I was suffering from anxiety and depression but really meeting Kerry was like meeting an angel in the road.”

Kerry Brown said: “Being an ECLO is a deeply fulfilling role. I feel great satisfaction in helping my patients regain their confidence and independence. The most rewarding part is seeing the positive impact we achieve together.''

Karen James, ECLO Service Manager, said: “Our ECLOs offer invaluable information, advice, practical support, and emotional assistance to patients and their families. We aim to make a positive impact in their lives, helping them navigate their journey with confidence and dignity. Our mission is to ensure that no one feels alone during this challenging time, and that they receive the help they need.”

Edward Pringle, Consultant Ophthalmologist at Kings College Hospital, said: "ECLOs are essential to our service, providing crucial support to patients with sight loss. As treatments have advanced, ECLOs guide patients through their journey, offering ongoing emotional and practical support even after medical and surgical interventions are complete."

RNIB has recently developed its Eye Care Support Pathway which aims to ensure patients are supported at every stage of their sight loss journey, from visiting an optician through to living in the modern world with sight loss. ECLOs will play an increasingly vital role in receiving referrals at key stages of the patient’s journey.

For more information about ECLOs, call RNIB’s Helpline on 0303 123 9999, or visit RNIB’s website.

All media enquiries to Martin Elvery on [email protected] or 07543 508908. Or, for urgent enquiries out-of-hours, please call 07968 482812.

You can read about thefull history of RNIB ECLOs here.

It’s 30 years since the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) first placed vital support staff - Eye Care Liaison Officers (ECLOs) - in NHS hospital eye clinics.

The first RNIB ECLO was installed at Rotherham Hospital in Sheffield in 1994 and the service has grown to 130 ECLOs and RNIB is close to placing one in every major UK eye clinic. Our ECLOs have supported thousands of blind and partially sighted people to come to terms with losing their vision and have become integral members of staff to NHS eye clinics.

Many ECLOs are themselves blind or partially sighted and have been inspired to help others by their own experiences of care given by ECLOs. The ECLO offers a vital emotional support role and helps patients come to terms with their situation, whether that be a new

RNIB is marking this significant 30 years milestone by celebrating the vital work of its ECLOs in supporting patients who have been diagnosed with sight loss. As the population ages and demand increases, this year more than ever, we want to ensure that all people diagnosed with vision loss know about and have access to ECLOS and that staff in all hospitals and eye clinics are aware of this vital service.

We are the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

Every six minutes, someone in the UK begins to lose their sight. RNIB is taking a stand against exclusion, inequality and isolation to create a world without barriers where people with sight loss can lead full lives. A different world where society values blind and partially sighted people not for the disabilities they’ve overcome, but for the people they are.

RNIB. See differently.

Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk.