Like most doctors I have read and am a fan of Samuel Shem’s House of God, with my favourite Rule being Rule 10: “If you don’t take a temperature you can’t find a fever.” If you don’t intend to treat...
I wasn’t on call and my bleep went off. I knew without looking that it was the directorate office. Immediately my heart sank, for these calls were always about bad things. They never called to say “well done Gwyn you’re...
There she was. Sitting in the waiting room with her arms crossed, tut-tutting to herself and shaking her head mournfully every few minutes. We gazed at her from a safe distance while one of the nurses confirmed what we already...
A trainee shortly to rotate to my firm was unhappy at the fact that she had only one phaco list in her timetable. She was a final year trainee with more than five hundred cataract extractions to her name so...
Over the past few years and months, I have noticed increased numbers of my colleagues from all over the UK complaining about various problems with their jobs and life in general, and it seems that since the COVID-19 pandemic the...
A few months ago, my eldest son got me interested in a Netflix series called “Better Call Saul”. This is a spin-off from another series called “Breaking Bad”, although I confess to not having seen any of those episodes as...
I am sad as this is my last article. The last Learning Curve written by me. I have been writing this column for more than 10 years and have enjoyed every moment. I will be eternally grateful to Eye News...
Being the subject of litigation is stressful and upsetting. Having to look back over your previous decisions and justify the care you delivered in good faith can be difficult. Sadly, we all live with the Sword of Damocles above us...
A new set of data protection regulations became law in the EU (including the UK) in May 2018. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) replaces the 1988 Data Protection Act. The regulation brings new rights and expectations about how our personal...
Jeremy Hunt’s statement earlier in 2014, about a paperless NHS by 2018, has added momentum to the transition away from paper records. The Tech Review this issue discusses what that will involve and how and why you may want to...
Ophthalmology is one of the most competitive medical specialities in the UK, with 3.74 applicants per place in 2018 [1]. Given the competitive nature of this highly specialised field, medical students who are interested in pursuing a career in ophthalmology...
17 September 2025
| Ian Carmody, Amar Alwitry
|
EYE - General
It was a busy shift on the ward. Amongst the chest pains and fevers was an older woman referred for confusion. She was quiet, polite, and compliant – the kind of patient who doesn’t raise alarms. As we spoke, I...