College News October 2018
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30 YEARS 1988 - 2018 QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OCTOBER EDITION 2018 Congratulations to this year’s Honorary Fellows, Professor Harminder Dua, Miss Marcia Zondervan and the diplomates receiving their award at the RCOphth Admissions Ceremony in September. PAGE 4 A SAS perspective Jugnoo Rahi Trainee Knowledge PAGE 6 New PAGE 15 New PAGE 18 How to to the NHS Chair, Academic mix research with subcommittee clinical training college news Dear fellow members, “Treating clinicians can lawfully choose Avastin for ophthalmic use on grounds of cost” Contents The 21st of September 2018 will live long in the memory of those who have campaigned 3 Awards galore! to be allowed to use Avastin (bevacizumab) 5 2018 Admissions as treatment for wet age-related macular Ceremony degeneration (ARMD). The landmark ruling by 6 New to the NHS - A Mrs Justice Whipple has brought clarity to the SAS Perspective interpretation of the national and European 7 Focus Managing legislation and should be read in full by all refractive surprise ophthalmologists. The College has issued a briefing note via Eye- 11 Museum Piece Mail to help answer some of the comments Births and Books in Whilst some may consider this a victory and concerns raised by members and I wish Ophthalmology 1818 over ‘Big Pharma’, we must not forget that members to continue to contribute to the 15 Jugnoo Rahi pharmaceutical companies are responsible discussions around Avastin. - New Academic for the development of the drugs we now use subcommittee chair to prevent blindness. It is essential that we Please do contact me at president@rcophth. 17 Ophthalmologists in recognise their vital role in eye health and ac.uk and I will do my best to answer your Training continue to work closely with them in future. enquiries on this matter. 23 Diary Dates The judgement allows clinicians to offer Avastin alongside other NICE approved, licensed treatments for wet ARMD. It does Don’t forget to not permit Clinical Commissioning Groups follow us on Twitter: (CCGs) to insist that Avastin is used exclusively. Mike Burdon, President rcophth @ It is widely recognised that ophthalmology [email protected] departments are under-resourced and are For the full landmark ruling and press release struggling to meet the increasing demands for Articles and stories to be visit the RCOphth website. considered for publication their services. Understandably, following this should be sent to: ruling, many ophthalmologists will expect their www.rcophth.ac.uk/2018/09/the-royal-college- Jack Bellamy CCGs and other healthcare funders to invest a of-ophthalmologists-is-delighted-that-the- Communications significant proportion of the money saved by a high-court-has-found-in-favour-of-the-use-of- Co-ordinator switch to Avastin in eye care. avastin-for-wet-amd/ [email protected] Copy deadlines January 2019 edition: 23 November 2018 April 2019 edition: 1 March 2019 July 2019 edition: NEWS events 31 May 2019 October 2019 edition: 30 August 2019 comment AWARDS courses Editor of Focus: Mr Andrew Tatham Advertising queries should be directed to: Robert Sloan Keep up to date with the latest news from the College and join in 07963 187 583 discussion with colleagues by following us on twitter... [email protected] Contact Details: The Royal College Join the conversation at https://twitter.com/RCOphth of Ophthalmologists 18 Stephenson Way London, NW1 2HD T. 020 7935 0702 2 THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF OPHTHALMOLOGISTS QUARTERLY MAGAZINE | OCTOBER EDITION 2018 Awards Galore! Prime Minister recognises CBM UK’s Andy Pyott with a Points of Light award In between trips he organises visits by other UK medics, including experts from The Royal College of Ophthalmologists and specialists in retinoblastoma and diabetic retinopathy. He is also the driving force behind a programme linking the eye departments at the University of Dundee and Hasanuddin University Hospital in Makassar. Andy is the latest recipient of the Points of Light award, which recognises outstanding volunteers who are making a change in their community and inspiring others and a personal letter from Prime Minister Theresa May noted, ‘By lending your expertise to medics in Indonesia, you are ensuring the care and support local people receive is improving for the long term. Your ability Andy Pyott, consultant at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness to inspire other experts to join this important mission is a wonderful achievement.” and RCOphth Council Member, volunteers his time for Christian Blind Mission UK (CBM) to train local medics Andy said of the award, ‘I am still a bit overwhelmed by this across some of the poorest communities in Indonesia. award, but it is really a recognition of the fantastic work that Andy visits the country twice a year, to carry out CBM does in the elimination of avoidable blindness. My role has been to enable and encourage others, to take on and develop training, complete vital evaluation of new projects and services in a way that even they would have not thought advise the Ministry of Health. possible twelve years ago.’ Two UCL Institute of Ophthalmology Christopher Liu receiving his OBE from professors win prestigious Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace international vision award This year’s prestigious Champalimaud Vision Award ceremony took place in Portugal in September. The award, worth €1 million in total, recognised the development of a successful gene therapy treatment for a genetic retinal disorder, a form of Earlier this year, Christopher Liu was appointed by Her Majesty Leber Congenital Amaurosis, which causes childhood blindness. Queen Elizabeth II as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of Professors Robin Ali and James Bainbridge, UCL Institute the British Empire for Services to Ophthalmology. of Ophthalmology researchers, were among the seven Christopher said, “I am overjoyed with being appointed OBE international winners. The award is the largest in vision research and humbly accept the honour bestowed upon me on behalf and highlighted the potential for future developments in gene of my team, my teachers, my colleagues, my many fellows and therapy to cure inherited diseases. students, and my family.” “Ophthalmology is an exciting place to be at the moment with an abundance of developments and innovations. We feel very honoured to be recipients of the award,” said Professor Ali. 3 college news 2018 sees another great Admissions Ceremony On Friday 7 September, the Royal College of Obstetrics Edited versions of the citations given in respect of and Gynaecologists hosted another two sessions of the Honorary Fellows are published in this article, but the Admissions Ceremony. full citations can be read online: Some 112 delegates and 320 proud family and friends www.rcophth.ac.uk/about/rcophth/rcophth- gathered to share the hugely successful and enjoyable honorary-fellowships/ occassion. Marcia Zondervan citation Professor Harminder Singh Dua presented by Professor Allen citation presented by Professor Foster Stephen A Vernon, Vice President Marcia was born into a farming family at Guelf, near Toronto RCOphth in Canada, the 3rd. of 6 children. She trained as a nurse being awarded a Diploma in Nursing and then a Diploma in Tropical It is highly appropriate that, during the College’s 30th Diseases. anniversary year, we recognise one of the truly influential leaders in world ophthalmology by bestowing on him the I first met Marcia in 1984 when she came to Tanzania to gain highest award the College can give – an honorary fellowship. experience in Tropical Ophthalmology. After an internship with It is my pleasure, both as Vice President of the College but us she went to The Gambia and worked for 3 years at a rural also as one who has been fortunate to have been a consultant clinic being responsible for the diagnosis and management of colleague of the recipient for many years, to present to you patients with eye diseases. Professor Harminder Singh Dua as one of this year’s recipients The aim of the VISION 2020 LINKS Programme is to increase of our honorary fellowship award. the quality and quantity of eye care training in Africa through Many doctors, and particularly ophthalmologists it seems, who establishing long-term, mutually beneficial health partnerships. have reached Professor Dua’s age (and I am not going to tell The first step is to define the priority need of the African you that of course!) have either already retired or are about institution and then match them with an appropriate NHS to retire. It is a testament to his continuing enthusiasm and hospital. Joint visits are then undertaken at the end of which zest for the subject that when I asked him about retirement a a detailed Activity Plan and Memorandum of Understanding few years ago, he looked at me in a way that only he can and between the partner hospitals is agreed and signed by senior said “Ophthalmology is my hobby as well as my life’s work – I management in the UK and African hospitals. shall never retire!”... and this is clearly the main reason for Marcia has been responsible for and led the UK International him continuing at the ferocious pace that has characterised Eye Health Partnership programme over the last 14 years, and his career to date. In fact if I could divide and package his she is now assisting Australia and the USA to develop similar dedication, drive, commitment, determination and creativity programmes respectively in the Pacific and Latin America. and distribute it in equal measure to all who are receiving their fellowship certificates today, I would guarantee the success of Marcia combines passion for the cause, which is good accessible British ophthalmology for the next decade at least. eye care for people living in low income settings, together with professionalism and hard work. She has great diplomacy skills, Ladies and gentlemen and particularly our diplomates who a “never give up” attitude, and humility, which colleagues in the have their whole career as a consultant ahead of them, UK and Africa find persuasive, motivating and inspiring.