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“We try our best”, but we should still be open and transparent

In a recent discussion with colleagues, someone recognised that many, when asked what they do, say, “I am a doctor”. Rather than “I work as a doctor”. This sense of belonging, pride and duty comes with responsibility. Becoming a surgeon,...

The approach to angle-closure glaucoma

Further to my last article in Eye News (print issue) describing the diagnostic approaches to various clinical scenarios in glaucoma, the approach to angle-closure glaucoma (ACG), a situation terrifying for patient and registrar alike, will be discussed. Please refer to...

Simplified Ophthalmic Statistics (SOS) Part 1: An introduction to data – how do we classify it and why does it matter?

Introductory statistics courses often start by explaining how data can be classified in different ways. What is not always clear is why you would need to know this. Catey Bunce and Tafadzwa Young-Zvandasara explain. The term data can be applied...

SOS (Simplified Ophthalmic Statistics) Part 4: How to present your statistical analysis

This is the last in this series of short guides which we hope provide some guidance in relation to statistical issues researchers may encounter when conducting research, audit or indeed quality improvement projects. Here we focus on an issue that...

Cornea teaching techniques: one cornea donor tissue for two purposes

There is a national shortage in the UK in corneal graft material [1,2]. The majority (69%) of corneal transplants in the UK are partial thickness, with 35% being Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) [2]. During the preparation of the donor...

Ophthalmology specialty training applications: a costly affair?

Ophthalmology is one of the most competitive specialties to pursue training in worldwide. In the United Kingdom, the ST1 entry national selection competition ratio for the past few years has ranged between four to five applicants per post [1]. The...

The adverse effects of COVID-19 on undergraduate ophthalmology education: An opportunity to reform ophthalmology training

The steady erosion of undergraduate ophthalmology teaching, which has been acutely exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, has led to a lack of basic ophthalmology examining skills and knowledge amongst clinicians of other specialities. Concurrently, there has been a rise in...

How good does my vision have to be to drive this thing? Visual standards for various occupations

We can all picture that moment in clinic: you are about to tell someone that they’re no longer legally able to drive, ready to deploy our ‘breaking bad news’ techniques. For some patients this may have been expected, or they...

Keep calm and cut the carbon – improving sustainability in ophthalmology

As I dump my tenth pair of gloves into a non-recyclable clinical waste bin; dispose of another handful of plastic minims; or print another wad of single-sided discharge paperwork after a cataract surgery, the inconvenient truth of how these seemingly...

Certifying patients as visually impaired: the start of a journey

In March 2017 there were 290,475 people registered as either visually impaired or severely visually impaired in the UK [1]. Patients registered as sight impaired benefit from financial support as well as practical help. Practical help is provided by social...

In conversation with Salman Waqar

Hari Kaneshayogan interviews Salman Waqar, a Consultant Ophthalmologist with a keen interest in medical innovation. He is the inventor of the Waqar suture removal forceps, which combines suture cut and removal in one instrument. He has also created an injection...