EYE specialists from the Royal Gwent Hospital are in the running for a UK-wide award after being nominated by patients for their caring, tireless approach, and excellent care.

Consultant ophthalmologist Chris Blyth and his team at the hospital's eye clinic are nominated for the Macular Disease Society’s annual Clinical Services of the Year Award.

Macular disease affects the eye and causes loss of central vision, which can make performing everyday tasks such as shopping, reading, watching television and even recognising the faces of others very difficult.

Around 500 patients in Gwent have macular degeneration, and the clinic sees on average four new patients every week.

"In terms of our overall patients numbers that is quite small, but they can go blind very quickly without treatment," said Mr Blyth.

"With dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) most people have enough vision to function normally, but wet AMD is much more aggressive and though relatively few people get that, they deteriorate very quickly."

"It's very pleasing that some of our patients have gone to the trouble to nominate us."

Award winners will be revealed at the Macular Disease Society's annual conference in September. The society is the only UK charity dedicated to helping people with macular disease, the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK.