Strengthening eye health knowledge across Western NSW

Senior Project Officer Jess Rae and Program Support Officer Tori Towney from the Western NSW Eye Health Partnership (WNSWEHP) recently hit the road to deliver a series of targeted education sessions on diabetic eye disease with staff from Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) across the region. 

Over the course of the trip, sessions were hosted at Wellington, Coonamble, Gilgandra, Forbes, Condobolin, Dubbo, Walgett, and Brewarrina, engaging primary care staff from a range of disciplines. 

The education initiative forms part of WNSWEHP’s commitment to building local capacity and supporting primary care teams to deliver culturally safe, coordinated eye care in rural and remote communities.

Drawn from the Western NSW Eye Health Partnership Strategic Outcomes Roadmap, the sessions aimed to strengthen clinical confidence in recognising, discussing, and managing diabetic eye disease—a leading cause of preventable vision loss among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples..

Through the interactive workshops, participants learned to: 

• Identify patients at risk of developing diabetic eye disease 
• Understand basic eye anatomy relevant to diabetic changes 
• Interpret retinal photographs and recognise features that warrant referral to an eye care professional 
• Discuss potential complications of diabetic eye disease with patients 

The content was originally developed by Ophthalmologist, Dr Joshua Lane, Optometrist, Eliza Whiteley and Ophthalmic Specialist Nurse and Senior Project Officer, Jess Rae.

The training was well received by participants, who value the opportunity to deepen their understanding of those patients at risk of developing diabetic eye disease and learned how to strengthen collaboration between the primary care team, Optometry and Ophthalmology to improve Aboriginal eye health outcomes.

This initiative highlights the importance of collaborative, on-the-ground education in improving access to quality eye care across Western NSW.

"It's important that we can deliver these sessions in-person when we are able and that we can connect with people on their own Country" said Program Support Officer, Tori Towney.

WNSWEHP is administered by RDN and funded by The Fred Hollows Foundation through its Indigenous Australia Program.

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