The VISION 2020 LINK [1] between the College of Ophthalmology of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa (COECSA) and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) has been building leaders of eye care in Africa since 2008, when a Memorandum of Understanding...
Madagascar is a fascinating and culturally rich island which has an ‘exotic’ status in most people’s eyes. Yet it is among the poorest countries in the world. According to the World Bank, 92% of the population live on less than...
When I spoke on setting up private practice at the annual United Kingdom & Ireland Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons (UKISCRS) meeting in November ’23 there was a lot of interest in different types of practice models. If we...
As he retires from clinical practice, the author looks back on his long career in uveitis and how care of these patients has changed dramatically since his days as an undergraduate. My trainees and fellows are often bored by my...
I have always been captivated by a true-life story demonstrating the human spirit of triumph over adversity. For me, one of the most memorable sportsmen overcoming an injury has always been the mountaineer Joe Simpson and his tale of survival...
Greater attention needs to be given to children’s vision, believes the profession, as a recent survey by Mumsnet reveals that visits to the optometrist are lower down the agenda than dental visits. It found that 9% of parents saw no...
Nearly one in ten parents or carers (9%) will only take their child for their first visit to the optician if and when an eye health or vision issue arises, reveals a new Children’s Eye Health Report by the Association...
A round-up of the eye related hot topics that have been trending on social media over the last few weeks. #scleratattoo Yes, you read that correctly. Scleral tattoos are a relatively new form of extreme body modification. Oddly enough, ‘sclera...
As a foundation year doctor, I didn’t expect ophthalmology to feature much in acute medicine or surgery. Yet it kept appearing at the periphery – and when it did, it was often complex and unexpectedly urgent. A confused older patient...
I am now most of the way through my ST3 year working in Plymouth, within the Peninsula Deanery. Before the start of the year, I was approached by one of my consultants who asked if I would like to carry...
See Pete's Hidden Curriculum Part 1 here Interviewer: “Mr Murphy, what attracts you to the leisure industry?”Spud: “In a word: pleasure. It’s like pleasure in other people’s leisure.”Interviewer: “Do you see yourself as having any weaknesses?”Spud: Shakes head, then: “Oh,...
As a child of the 70s and 80s, there were limited television viewing opportunities. For the duration of the 70s there were only three channels, only moving to four with the launch of Channel 4 in 1982. Not only that,...