Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is the name given to a group of genetically inherited eye conditions that affect the retina at the back of the eye.

RP causes permanent changes to eye sight, but how much vision is affected and how quickly the changes take place varies enormously from person to person.

For people with RP, faulty genes cause the cells in the retina to stop working and eventually die. This affects the eye’s ability to process light, so that people with RP are often sensitive to light and may find bright light, changes in light levels and seeing in dull conditions such as outside at night or in dimply lit rooms difficult, this is often called night blindness. Many people with RP also lose peripheral vision which means seeing things straight ahead is easier but seeing things to the side is more difficult