Melton eye specialist celebrates top award

Dr Jane Macnaughton was named Eye Care Professional of the Year at the RNIB See Differently Awards in London this week.

Jane currently works as both a specialist optometrist at Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) and is also a senior lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University.

She has played a key role in the development of low-vision clinics across the UK including the one she works on at the LRI, which is delivered in partnership with Vista – Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland’s charity for people with sight loss - to support patients to live safe and independent lives.

Jane helped create the first training course for eye care liaison officers and has written well-known text books for optometry students.

On winning the award, she said: “This has truly been a career highlight for me.

"It was quite nerve-racking because I wasn’t expecting it at all.

“I’ve spent so much time working in the sight loss sector and it’s such an enjoyable and rewarding career. I’m very grateful to be recognised.”

Jane was motivated to get involved with the development of low-vision clinics after an encounter with a patient who had just been certified blind.

She was a member of the very first working group which sought how to better support blind and partially sighted people.

Despite teaching around 80 students a year and recently gaining a PhD in vision rehabilitation, she is also currently finding time to write a children’s book about a visually impaired dragon.