The Liverpool Ophthalmic Reading Centre (LORC) is part of St. Paul's Eye Unit, Royal Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Trust and is strongly linked with the research activity of the Department of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool and the Network of Ophthalmic Reading Centres UK (NetwORC UK) coordinated by the Central Administrative Research Facility (CARF) in Belfast.

The Liverpool Ophthalmic Reading Centre was established in 2005 to support multicentre clinical trials on eye diseases including Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Retinopathy. The very experienced team consists of 3 Ophthalmologists, Prof Simon Harding FRCOphth, MD, Ms Savitha Madhusudhan FRCOphth, and Dr (Mrs) Pauline Lenfestey MRCOphth, a Senior Ophthalmic Image Grader, Mr David Parry, an Ophthalmic Image Grader, Ms Sophie Leach and an Administrator.

In addition to its grading of Angiographic and Tomographic images for Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Retinopathy for clinical trials, the Liverpool Ophthalmic Reading Centre also provides grading to local, national and international programmes, with areas of interest including Cerebral Malarial Retinopathy and Diabetic Retinopathy. The graders are also skilled to run a weekly AMD Rapid Access Clinic and have a very valuable contribution in teaching and training junior ophthalmologists in imaging.

More information can be found on our website.