COLLEGE NEWS QUARTERLY BULLETIN OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF OPHTHALMOLOGISTS SPRING 2006

President’s Report CONTENTS One of the most rewarding Not everyone is aware that the News 2 activities as President has been College is a registered charity travelling round the country to and has to abide by its Charter Obituaries 3 attend regional study days and and the rules laid down by the to have the opportunity to meet Privy Council. It is forbidden News 4 and converse with the local staff. for the College to become involved in ‘union matters’ but I have been welcomed in every nevertheless we can still be an News 6 region, including Scotland, Wales effective force in representing and Northern Ireland and have Members’ and Fellows’ Diary & appointments 8 been able to talk about the interests for the common College and exchange views on good of our patients and the issues that are keeping us ophthalmology. awake at night. In May my term as Independent Sector Treatment President comes to Centres have been a constant an end. Over the topic, as the government sticks last three years I to its plan to dismantle the NHS have had the privilege Training the by introducing more plurality to represent the College and competition. Modernising both overseas and at trainers Medical Careers (MMC) has home and have tried exercised us all trying to keep hard to improve our Wednesday 22 March 2006 up with and influence the ever- communications 1 ‘What to Teach’ changing ‘Career Framework strategy, develop 2 ‘How to Teach’ Proposal’ and the extension of our public health role, Tuesday 18 April 2006 prescribing rights debate has focus on international 3 ‘Improving Teaching Skills’ polarised opinion on professional relations and make 4 ‘Feedback and Appraisal’ competencies, patient safety and more equitable the importance of evidence- our council Monday 5 June 2006 based practice. representation. 5 ‘Assessment’ continued on page 3 6 ‘Problem Solving’ All these issues require close engagement by the College Daily fee: £265.00 inc V.A.T. and by making our views Reduced fee: £647 inc V.A.T. known to Ministers, the MMC if all three days are booked. Board, Healthcare Commission, www.rcophth.ac.uk/education GOC etc, we are trying hard to maintain standards for the benefit of the public and ensure that training is given the Please visit the Do Once highest priority. and Share pages on the College website: Sometimes it feels like ‘kicking against the pricks’ (Acts 9:5) but www.rcophth.ac.uk it is important to persevere and “Things must be done decently and in order” /thecollege/doas hope that good sense will prevail in Sherlock Holmes in The Adventure of the Retired Colourman the face of political ‘short-termism’. NEWS

ORYCLE 30 March – 1 April Opportunity Knocks! web-site has been set up: ORYCLE is organised by the www.doasglaucoma.org Ophthalmic Trainees Group to The Do Once and Share Programme You’ll find details about the project’s provide an annual education and (DOAS) is a national initiative from scope, and its operational and social event for all SpRs, SHOs and Connecting for Health (CfH) specifically accountability framework, but most recently appointed consultants. designed to: importantly, you’ll be able to observe • Engage clinicians and patients in the it’s progress and contribute to it The meeting will be held in the design, development and implementation throughout its duration. Currently the fantastic five star De Vere Hotel, of IT technologies in the NHS by CfH site highlights ongoing work collating Oulton Hall just outside Leeds. • Ensure that the needs of clinical examples of best practice in glaucoma http://www.devereonline.co.uk specialties are taken into account, and care, information flows within and • Provide a care record focusing on the between clinical teams across primary There will be a limited number of needs of patients who may be involved and secondary care, and existing residential places available so make with more than one clinical specialty electronic systems. This will inform sure you book in good time to the development of the care pathway avoid disappointment. It is made up of a national network and dataset, which will include of DOAS projects focusing on a sourcing the evidence base supporting The weekend fee is £210 and the daily particular clinical topic or condition all proposed recommendations. In fee is £75. The day rate includes an across a wide variety of clinical addition, developments from research evening meal, and on Friday 31 specialties. By the end of 2005 and technology that are likely to March the evening entertainment, but there were around 45 with further influence clinical practice in the short, does not include any accommodation expansion planned for 2006. medium and long-term will be during the meeting. Ophthalmology has done very highlighted and prioritised for further well getting 3 projects in the first work, to keep the pathway responsive The meeting has been highly wave – in addition to Glaucoma, and reflective of current clinical successful in the past and includes these include Cataract and Diabetic practice and opinion. Do take a look at topics of interest and relevance to Eye Disease. it now, and send us your comments, trainees that are often overlooked but also watch this web space…Very in other meetings and courses. DOAS GLAUCOMA shortly the first draft of the clinical This started in November 2005 with a pathway and dataset will be placed on Application forms can be duration of 6 months. Its objectives are to: the web-site – and we’ll look forward downloaded form the college website: • Develop a national clinical glaucoma care to hearing from you. http://www.rcophth.ac.uk/training/otg pathway template that has been approved by all the relevant professional bodies Why should you? Thank you • Define a core dataset for glaucoma This is a long term venture. At this stage Amit Patel – OTG Rep, Wales supporting the care pathway template of the DOAS programme we are • Engage and consult with the wider charged with getting the basics right for community of practice of professionals further development as necessary until and patients involved in glaucoma care the promised electronic care record Congratulations becomes a reality. Ophthalmology has In common with all the other DOAS done well in getting 3 projects and this To Alex Tytko, Deputy Chief projects, the glaucoma clinical care is a real opportunity for its clinical Executive and Head of Education pathway and core dataset will inform community to keep it in the mainstream and Training Department, a the development of the NHS Care of IT developments in the NHS. daughter, Amelia Estelle, born Record, its presentation to the user 30 December 2005. through the Common User Interface www.doasglaucoma.org and ultimately, its use in practice in a To Barny Foot, Research Fellow, a daughter, Sophie, born 20 clinical setting. Parul Desai January 2006. Clinical Lead, DOAS Glaucoma How can you get involved? Consultant in Ophthalmology Katie Miller has joined the Education To facilitate the widest coverage and Public Health and Training Department as Junior and involvement of professionals Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Assistant, following the promotion and patients as possible, a dedicated Foundation Trust of Carol Welch to Senior Assistant.

2 MEMBERS NEWS

President’s Report My Chief Executive at the Norfolk and Norwich has continued from page 1 been an invaluable support in giving me leave of absence I shall miss coming down to , albeit to a red box to serve the College and my colleagues have worked like full of correspondence, and working with the College Trojans to keep up our activity. staff who have all become friends, in particular Margaret Hallendorff and Kathy Evans. I shall miss the tall figure I am pleased to be handing over the reins to Brenda of Sherlock Holmes at the entrance to Baker Street tube, Billington, who, I am confident, will enjoy the respect although my image will be preserved on innumerable and support of all the Staff, Officers, Members and tourists’ photographs taken in passing. I shall not miss Fellows who have been associated with the College the volume of email traffic which to my amazement has during the last three years and more. totalled around 17,000 sent and received! Nick Astbury

ship. After the war, he trained at Hopkins University School of Obituaries UCH under Shapland and Neame. Medicine. After serving as a Major in the US Army, he became Allan Friedmann 1916 - 2005 His first Consultant appointment Associate Professor of Surgery at A generation of ophthalmologists was at St Mary Abbott’s Hospital, Stanford University. His main and patients will be saddened to Kensington and he later held interests were in glaucoma, learn of the death of Allan Consultant posts at Ashford intraocular copper foreign bodies, Friedmann at the age of 89. Hospital, Middlesex and at the uveitis and epidemiology. In 1980 South Middlesex Hospital. He was he was appointed the Frederick Allan, who trained in appointed as a Consultant at the Thorpe Foundation Professor of Johannesburg, was closely linked Hospital in west London Ophthalmology, in Leicester and to the anti-apartheid movement which later evolved into the new through hard work and and left South Africa for . Here he commitment made the department in 1961. He was appointed established an interest in contact internationally recognised. He Consultant to the Royal Eye lenses and pioneered the treatment pursued his special interest in Hospital, working closely with of diabetic retinopathy. Alan epidemiology, notably with the Professor Sorsby, and when it provided the backbone of the Melton Project, and set up the closed in 1980 he transferred to St. Hospital Eye Service and through uveitis clinic and register and Thomas's. His main expertise was unceasing effort earned the developed the day ward, which in glaucoma although, through his devotion of patients and colleagues has subsequently been used as a interest in general medicine, he until he retired in 1986. model for many other units. He helped found the internationally was both an entrepreneur and an famous Medical Eye Unit at the Outside the hospital he was innovator and set up the award hospital. He will be remembered passionately interested in family life, winning Health Education Video particularly for his development sailing and music, being a member Unit. He also chaired the College’s of one of the first computerised of the Galpin Society for early Audit Committee. instruments for testing central musical instruments. He enjoyed visual fields - the Friedmann repairing early pianos and built by He returned to the United States Analyser which greatly simplified hand, using ophthalmic precision in 1996 as Director of the FDA’s the quantitative measurement of and dexterity, two harpsichords and Division of Ophthalmic Devices field changes in glaucoma and a spinet. In July of this year he fell in Maryland; he retired in 2005. retinal and neurological disease. fracturing ribs and rapidly succumbed to pneumonia. He is Ralph's likeable personality, He will also be remembered as a survived by his wife Joan and his manner and particular talents as a good colleague, an enthusiastic daughter, a Consultant Psychiatrist, researcher, clinician and teacher teacher, great company and a and two sons. will be greatly missed. He enjoyed loyal friend. David Spalton theatre, art, music, travel and genial Timothy ffytche company. Ralph leaves a wife, Joan, Professor A Ralph Rosenthal two children and a grandson. Alan Higgitt 1918 - 2005 1939-2006 David Goulstine Alan Higgitt qualified at UCH and Ralph qualified from Johns joined the RNVR in 1942 as a Hopkins University, Baltimore, in We also note with regret the surgeon lieutenant, serving as an 1964, and then spent four years at death of Costas Constantinides, ophthalmic specialist on a hospital the Wilmer Institute, Johns Limssol, Cyprus

3 NEWS Not just tea and sympathy! STAFF NEWS

Action for Blind People, one of the permanent and that patients can begin Peggy McElligott 1942- 2006 UK’s leading third sector organisations to recover control of their own lives. Peggy came to work at the College in in vision impairment, has extensive 1994 as our part time housekeeper experience of providing support to Action for Blind People has secured and became well known to many who patients at the point of diagnosis. funding from the Department of came to the College for meetings. Her But many eye-clinics lack any such Health to undertake a three year love of life was infectious and many provision and Action for Blind People project to develop such services. This times there were gales of laughter is working with RNIB, Guide Dogs, will provide for a project worker to from the kitchen as she related local organisations and with liaise with PCTs and Social Services, another of her escapades. professionals in eye-health to address map existing services, develop quality this gap. standards and secure long term In the past year or so her health funding for individual services. started failing but nonetheless she The idea is to ensure that the patient is continued working and she never not left without support and Action for Blind People sees this post complained. Her final illness meant information at any stage of the eye-care and project as vital in establishing that she underwent grueling treatment journey. Busy clinicians often do not quality services for newly diagnosed at Charing Cross Hospital. We visited have time to explain to patients the blind and partially sighted people her there regularly and, right to the vast array of opportunity and support throughout the UK. With hospital eye end, she made sure that she was that is available to them, even if clinics, low vision units, looking her best and, although she nothing more can be done for their ophthalmology teams, high street could not longer speak, her methods sight. Blind people can get and keep opticians and social service teams of communication were well honed. jobs and lead full lives. Support at the working closely with local societies, no point of diagnosis is designed to ensure one need fall through the gaps. We extend out sympathies to her that the inevitable psychological impact Sue Silvester and Cherie Eveling son, daughter and grandchildren. of sight loss does not become [email protected] Margaret Hallendorff

EDUCATION AND CONGRESS NEWS whether they have booked can do TRAINING DEPARTMENT 23-25 May 2006 so via the website. Manchester International • Delegates who are unable to commit 2005 Awards Winners Convention Centre/G-Mex to the Congress early can apply late and avoid registration queues. New online registration • Delegates who have problems on the British Eye Research Fund and payment system web can ring a dedicated registration Mr A Solomon There are innovations in the registration helpline which will be manned from process. For some time we have been 9am to 5.30 pm – Monday to Friday. Dorey Bequest Travel Award planning to move to a totally web Please visit the College website to Mr S Rajak & Dr M Urgate based registration and payment system register at www.rcophth.ac.uk Ethicon Travel Award and this is now in place. No longer will Mr J Church, Miss V Cohen, Mr S you book your hotel and travel online Programme changes N Rajak & Dr L Yuen and then hunt desperately for the The programme will be updated Congress paper registration form, an regularly as sessions and speakers International Glaucoma envelope and a stamp! are confirmed, do visit the website Association Fellowship for the latest information. Dr Karaunratne & Professor Wright Benefits and features of web registration • Simple layout replicating the paper Drinks Reception Sir William Lister Travel Award form, easy to understand and complete. Tuesday 23rd May at 4.30 p.m Dr C A Cooke • No more worries about whether Optic UK will be holding a drinks your posted or faxed application reception to commemorate Nick Pfizer Ophthalmic Fellowship has arrived. Delegates can register Astbury’s term as President. All Miss V Cohen & Mr R Cromer and pay at any time of the day or delegates and speakers are invited - Patrick Trevor-Roper night with a confirmation. hope to see you in the exhibition! Undergraduate Award • Delegates who want to check Heidi Packer Mr M P Simunovic & Ms L Flanagan

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NEWS

evidence of attendance and only 4 were able to give An Audit of CPD Activity in less than 50% evidence of meetings. Category B of Members of the There are currently 1,073 ophthalmologists registered Colleges On-line Programme with the College’s CPD system with 63% of these using the system regularly. The on-line continuing professional development (CPD) diary for recording CPD activity has been One of the barriers to use of the system, often raised, is available for one year; an audit of 10% of that it does take time to make entries on to the diary, ophthalmologists registered with the system was particularly with effective reflection on these entries. conducted in the latter half of 2005. Everybody should remember that although revalidation is on hold at the moment it will return. CPD activity is A random sample of ophthalmologists’ names were going to be a very important part of any revalidation selected via the computer programme and supplied to the programme and our patients and the Government Regional CPD Coordinator as allocated on the CPD expect us to keep ourselves up to date and to develop database. Each CPD Coordinator then asked those in the professionally. It is therefore just as important to set sample to supply evidence of attendance at Category B aside time to record our CPD activities, as it is to grade Meetings for which they claimed CPD points during 2004. clinic referrals, or sign our letters.

The evidence of attendance could range from I would like to encourage people to make more use production of a certificate, to final programme, to name of the system on a regular basis, to get the most out badge or receipt of payment for the meeting or a of it and to continue to keep records of attendance personal recognition by the CPD Coordinator that these at meetings, national and international meetings for individuals attended the meeting. Of those responses future audits. 26 out 37 Ophthalmologists were able to give 100% John Jacob evidence of attendance, 29 were able to give over 80% Chairman CPD Sub-committee

2006 Awards Awards The first volume of the Video Atlas of Eye Surgery on Basic Closing Dates Liverpool has strengthened its Vitreoretinal Surgery received academic base; both David Wong and 21 April one of only three High British Eye Research Fund up to £5,000 Simon Harding have been appointed Commendations in the BMA 6 October honorary chairs to the University of Book Awards, Electronic Media Dorey Bequest and Sir William Lister Liverpool. They join Bertil Damato, in category. Congratulations to Travel Awards c. £400 - £600 (4 awards) Ocular Oncology, Ian Grierson in authors Bill Aylward, Paul 10 November Experimental Ophthalmology and Sullivan, Brendan Vote and Ethicon Foundation Fund c. £400 - £800 Paul Hiscott in Pathology to make a Series Editor, Brian Little. (c. 4 awards) professorial team of 5. 27 October Department of Health's Health and Pfizer Ophthalmic Fellowship up to £35,000 Andy Richards has been awarded an Social Care Awards 2005 (South). 2 June OBE in the New Year Honours for Hospital Doctor of the Year Award Patrick Trevor-Roper Undergraduate ‘ophthalmic services to disadvantaged has been won by Christopher Liu, Prize c. £500 people in South Asia and Africa’. Sussex Eye Hospital.

Manpower Sub-Committee occasionally other meetings of relevant are invited to apply to sit on this - Recruitment of a Staff interest to attend. In a changing Sub-Committee, the next meeting of Grade Ophthalmologist medical environment, there may be which will be held on 26th April 2006. other related manpower issues, which The Manpower Sub-Committee may also concern the College. An abbreviated CV is required, advises the College, through the together with a statement of the skills Professional Standards Committee, on There is a need for Staff Grade the applicant feels that they can bring issues relating to medical manpower representation on this Sub-Committee. to the Sub-Committee. within the specialty .It meets three Please email: [email protected] times per year, at the College. There are Interested Staff Grade ophthalmologists Peter Black

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COMING EVENTS

2006 College Events 29 September 2006 other events 6 - 8 September Advances in the Investigation 36th Cambridge 23 - 25 May and Treatment of Corneal 17 - 20 May Ophthalmological Symposium Annual Congress Disease 4th SOI International Congress St John’s College Cambridge The International Convention The Institute of Physics, Rome Childhood Visual Impairment - Centre Manchester 76 Portland Place, London www.soiweb.com Chairman: Professor Tony Moore [email protected] Chaired by: Mr J Prydal, [email protected] Leicester 22 May UKISCRS Satellite Meeting 9 September College Seminar 1 November Visual Quality Following UKISCRS Annual Meeting Programme 2006 Clinical Skills and Imaging Cataract and Refractive Surgery at ESCRS Techniques in Age Related Museum of Science & Excel, London 28 March Macular Degeneration Industry, Manchester [email protected] Clinical Skills and Imaging The Royal College of [email protected] Techniques in Age Related Ophthalmologists, London 13 - 16 September Macular Degeneration Chaired by: Mr Ian Pearce, 28 - 29 June European Oculoplastic Meeting The Royal College of Liverpool, Mr Yit Yang, BOAS, British Ophthalmic Joint ESOPRS and BOPSS Ophthalmologists, London Wolverhampton Anaesthesia Society (European Society of Ophthalmic Chaired by: Mr Ian Pearce, 8th Annual Scientific Meeting Plastic and Reconstructive Liverpool and Mr Yit Yang, 27 November The Burlington Hotel, Surgery) and (British Oculoplastic Wolverhampton Elizabeth Thomas Seminar – Birmingham Surgery Society Macular Disease www.boas.org Imperial College, London 13 September Venue in Nottingham tbc [email protected] www.bopss Diabetic Eye Disease Chaired and organised by: [email protected] The Institute of Physics, Mr Winfried Amoaku, Nottingham 1 - 2 July 76 Portland Place Annual Scientific Meeting 14 - 16 September Chaired by: Miss Clare See College website for details of the British Society for World ROP Meeting – Bailey, Bristol www.rcophth.ac.uk/scientific Refractive Surgery (BSRS) East Meets West St. Catherine's College, Retinopathy of Prematurity – Oxford OX1 3UJ Is Blindness Preventable? Guest speakers include: Vilnius, Lithuania Cynthia Roberts, USA and www.balticconference.com/rop2006 Joseph Colin, France The deadlines: www.bsrs.co.uk Early registration – June 15, 2006 COLLEGENEWS [email protected] Abstract Submission – June 1, 2006 QUARTERLY BULLETIN OF 2 - 5 July 15 September THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF OPHTHALMOLOGISTS Oxford Ophthalmological Vision Research 2006 College News is published by The Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Congress University Of Bristol Editorial services by Chamberlain Dunn Associates. The Randolph Hotel and http://www.bris.ac.uk/ophthal Printing by Newgate Concise. The Playhouse Theatre mology/news.html Oxford [email protected] The Royal College of Ophthalmologists www.oxford-ophthalmological- 17 Cornwall Terrace, London NW1 4QW congress.org.uk 2 - 6 October Tel. 020 7935 0702; Fax 020 7935 9838 [email protected] Macular Course http://www.rcophth.ac.uk The Museum of London 13 - 14 July courses@moorfields.nhs.uk The Redhill Retinal Imaging Course 17 November Renaissance Hotel, Medical Contact Lens & Horley, Surrey Ocular Surface Association Includes ultrasound and Annual Scientific Meeting New Appointments OCT to reflect recent advances The Royal College of Obstetricians in the diagnosis of retinal & Gynaecologists, London Please note that Simon Morgan is a Consultant in Blackpool disorders. Suitable for all www.mclosa.org.uk Victoria Hospital, not Blackburn as erroneously reported in grades of ophthalmologists, [email protected] College News Autumn 2005 medical photographers and Riaz Hassan Asaria Royal Free Hospital, London technicians. 24 November James Ball St James’s University Hospital, Leeds Course director: Western Eye Hospital 150th Mr. Amresh Chopdar Azfar Wadood Chohan Noble’s Isle of Man Hospital Anniversary Celebration [email protected] All Western Ophthalmic Hospital Lluca Ilani The West Kent Eye Centre, Bromley Alumni (including allied Rajni Jain Western Eye Hospital, London 13 - 14 July professionals) are invited to attend Dipak Parmer Whipps Cross Hospital, London Cornea & Oculoplastics this day of celebration which will Mahenh Romchandam Southport and Ormskirk District Course inc. Intro to include a scientific programme, General, Southport Refractive Surgery an open day for the hospital and East Grinstead Hadi Zambarakji Whipps Cross Hospital, London dinner in the evening. [email protected] [email protected]

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