New eye screening equipment for premature babies at Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea's Hospital
New eye screening equipment for premature babies at Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea's Hospital
07 April 2026
The donor gave £25,000, enabling us to support the programme, inspired by her experience of her own children being treated at the hospital’s Neonatal ICU (NICU).
Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is an eye disease which can affect premature babies, often those born before 32 weeks or those who weigh under 1.5kg. The disease causes abnormal blood vessels to develop in the retina at the back of the eye, which can lead to vision impairment or even blindness if left untreated. The screening programme ensures this condition is detected early enough that treatment is possible.
The donation has not only enabled the extension of the programme from St Mary’s Hospital, where it was piloted, but has also covered the purchase of specialist equipment and training for nurses, increasing the number of staff who can capture images of premature babies’ eyes.
Once captured, images of the babies’ eyes are shared on a digital system with the Ophthalmology department, who assess whether the babies have the condition and then follow up with treatment.
“ROP screening is one of the most painful procedures for infants, and the two nurses handling the infants can now provide more holistic, developmentally appropriate and gentle care."
Dr Aniko Dierl, Consultant and Head of Neonatology
Now, images from the assessments are saved and accessible to more of the team, helping to ensure that babies have necessary checks on time, and families have an improved experience of care.
Dr Aniko Dierl, Consultant and Head of Neonatology at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, explains what a difference this new equipment will make. She said: “Nurses can now complete [screenings] independently with high-quality retinal images documented in the patient
records.
“ROP screening is one of the most painful procedures for infants, and the two nurses handling the infants can provide more holistic, developmentally appropriate and gentle care. It also significantly improved the parent experience as the nurses can provide a detailed explanation about images and progression week by week.”
The team are hopeful that this will become a permanent programme and is keen to share their learnings with other healthcare providers in north west London.
Our work is only possible due to the generosity of our supporters. Find out how you can give back to a ward or department by visiting our 'Support us' page or contacting a member of the team directly at fundraising@imperialcharity.org.uk.
