School of Ophthalmology

for more details of our training click below : 

Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital Ophthalmology Training

 

 

Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital  

   

Welcome to the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital Ophthalmology Department. We pride ourselves in being the heartbeat of the training program, delivering the highest quality training possible in a friendly environment with high volumes of surgical and clinical opportunities. The training program director is based here and orchestrates the teaching program from Norwich. It is an extremely popular unit for trainees to come to and we are regularly oversubscribed with requests to work with us every year.

 

Contact :

College Tutor : David Spokes   

Training Program Director : Narman Puvanachandra

We would be happy to arrange a meeting, taster session / week, audit / research project for those that are interested in pursuing a career in ophthalmology.

 

Top 5 Reasons to train at the Norfolk & Norwich :

1. We are invested hugely in training : We organise and run the regional teaching program, have regular teaching as listed below

2. We offer our trainee large numbers of surgical opportunities in lists without fellows to share the cases. 

3. We deliver high quality subspecialty training including pre-CCT fellowships known as Trainee Selected Components (TSC's) 

4. We are an extremely friendly unit with very approachable consultants and experienced middle grades keen to teach. Check out our social events below.

5. Norwich is a fine city and offer the perfect balance of historic city life and surrounding stunning Norfolk countryside with broads and beaches. A great place to bring up a family too.

 

Teaching : 

Weekly Friday afternoon teaching program (including Neuro-ophthalmology forum, Governance, Case Presentation and Audit Prize competition)

Weekly Paediatric and Vitreoretinal / Casualty teaching

Monthly Corneal Teaching

Regional EoE teaching program base half their days at NNUH with patient OSCE stations and interactive curriculum teaching

 

Research : 

We have a busy research department and dedicated team that include internationally recognized basic science research. 

Research interests include 

   - Glaucoma (basic science & Clinical)

   - Medical Retina (drug trials and radiotherapy for AMD)

More information can be found on our research page. 

 

Typical Timetables :

 

Simulation facilities : Model heads with strabismus eyes, Vitrectomy biopsy teaching, Oculoplastics wetlab training

Induction: Mandatory and departmental induction will be provided including a week long induction course in August 2018 for new trainees and more senior trainees will have induction day(s) when they start.

On-call arrangements: The post will include 1 in 7 on-call commitments as part of a busy clinical department with a three tier well supported on call service. 

Study Leave:  Details of study leave allowances are provided in the Health Education England East of England’s Study Leave Guidelines for Trainees.  There is usually a maximum of 30 days study leave which include a 11 day core regional teaching program.

Social Every year we run a Fancy Dress Christmas Quiz (Oh yes!), a Canoeing trip on the Broads (not a race, honestly...) and a Welcoming Dinner in August.

Educational Supervisor: The trainee will have a named Educational Supervisor who will assist the trainee in developing a personal training programme and annual training plan. 

 

Meet the Trainee

Hi I’m Becky and I’ve been lucky enough to work on the East of England Ophthalmology Rotation since 2011. It’s a really friendly region and all the trainees are well looked after. At first the sheer size of the Deanery can be quite daunting, however the Training Programme Director tells you well in advance which units you will be working in (pretty much as soon as you’re appointed), enabling you to plan where you’re going to live- no nasty surprises on ARCP day (as I’ve heard can be the case from peers in other parts of the country).

The Deanery is extremely accommodating and allows trainees to go LTFT if desired, or pursue research- I was given time out of training to carry out clinical research. There’s a good mix of DGH and Teaching hospital experience and you’re able to finish training with a large number of surgical procedures. During my time in the Deanery I’ve performed over 1350 cataract operations (…and counting- well over the 350 cases required by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists).  There is an exceptionally well co-ordinated  programme of regular teaching and courses within the Deanery, meaning clinical exams are a breeze when the time comes.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here and I know you will too!

Meet the Trainer

Hi I am Ted Burton. I have been a consultant eye surgeon in Norwich for 23 years and still love it

I am a vitreo-retinal and cataract surgeon. This combination of expertise makes me ideal for teaching cataract surgery to beginners without getting stressed. In Norwich I am able fit 14  cataract cases on an operating list which is one of the most efficient theatres in the country

Because over 99% of my surgery is day case  under a local anaesthetic I very rarely need to work out of hours. In my free time I enjoy cycling , kitesurfing and playing French horn in the Norwich Philharmonic

Meet the Researcher

Hi I am David Broadway. I trained in London (at St Thomas’s & Moorfields), was a Fellow in Vancouver and moved to Norwich as a Consultant in 1998 -  the best decision I ever made!

I specialise in Glaucoma and my research interests include clinical, epidemiological and basic science studies related to many glaucoma-related issues.  Glaucoma is common and top quality research can, therefore be carried out almost anywhere, including East Anglia. I co-supervise glaucoma MD / PhD research and clinical fellowship programs, regularly attracting people from all over the world to work with us in Norwich.

In my spare time I love sailing on the Norfolk Broads, playing hockey for Norwich City and supporting Ipswich Town football club.....I’m a true East Anglian! I strongly recommend Norfolk as a place to train and work with a great work/life balance. I look forward to working with you!

Meet the College Tutor

Hi I am David Spokes, College Tutor at Norfolk & Norwich.  My ophthalmology training was undertaken in Yorkshire and then A Anterior Segment fellowship in Perth and Moorfields.

I took up my consultant post in 2014 at Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital as a general ophthalmologist caring for patients with cataract, corneal and ocular surface problems, medical retina conditions and glaucoma. As College Tutor for ophthalmology at NNUH I am heavily involved in teaching and training the ophthalmologists of the future.

Working in the Eastern region allows me to have the kind of life-work balance I’ve always been keen to achieve. Not only do I have a busy clinical job with a significant sub-specialty component in a department with a strong research pedigree and links to a highly-rated university but I also have all the benefits of living in beautiful countryside and spending time with my family as my children grow up. We have easy access to the Broads and waterways of Norfolk, some fantastic beaches and plenty of countryside and woodlands right on the doorstep. Norwich is a small city but there’s always plenty going on in terms of cultural events and seasonal attractions.

Meet the Training Program Director

I am Narman Puvanachandra, the Training Program Director and Associate Postgraduate Dean in the East of England. Having trained in the region at Cambridge and also Vancouver, I chose to settle in Norwich as the Paediatric Ophthalmologist. I am now dedicated to driving forwards postgraduate training in ophthalmology and beyond. I know each of my 36 trainees individually and will help them to tailor their training to maximize their potential, aiming for a pleasant but inspiring learning environment.

I have organized the regional induction week to help trainees find their feet and meet us, smaller subrotations to make commuting easier, a comprehensive teaching program with interactive talks and patient examination OSCEs. We also have a thriving simulation, exam preparation and research program in the region, which is ever evolving. In addition I am fortunate to be invited annually to work abroad on international ophthalmology teaching projects (Sudan. China and Kenya).

In my spare time I play football and cricket for the Consultants, coach kids cricket and make sure I make time for my 3 children. I passionately love working in the region as my colleagues and patients are incredibly friendly and quality of life in the East of England far exceeds any other region I have ever worked in. I hope you come and work with us – I look forward to meeting you. 

 

Department                                                      

Clinical Director 

Mr. Chris Illingworth                                    Cornea

Consultants

Mr. Bijan Beigi                                            Oculoplastic Surgery

Prof. David Broadway                                Glaucoma                               Research Lead

Mr. Ted Burton                                           Vitreoretinal Surgery

Mr. Narman Puvanachandra                      Paediatric Ophthalmology      Associate Dean & TPD

Mr. Thomas Eke                                        Glaucoma

Mr. Andrew Glenn                                     Medical Retina

Mrs. Kimia Ziahosseini                              Oculoplastic Surgery

Mr. Colin Jones                                         Medical Retina & Uveitis         Chief of service

Miss. Aseema Misra                                 Medical Retina

Miss Shohista Saidkasimova                    Medical & Surgical Retina

Mr Nuwan Niyadurupola                           Glaucoma                               Undergraduate Lead

Mr David Spokes                                      General/Corneal                     College Tutor

Associate Specialists

Mrs. Jan Knight                                        Medical retina, cataract service,           

Mr. Chandra Rai                                       Oculoplastic, Medical retina, general

Staff Grade

Mrs. Ani Few                                            Medical Retina, Uveitis, general

Specialty Doctor

Mr Anas Injarie                                          Paeds. Glaucoma, AMD, General

Mr Yasir Imam                                           General, Medical retina, glaucoma

Ms Tooba Sohail                                        General, Medical retina, glaucoma                                                                                                          

Junior Staff include 6 Specialty Trainees in ophthalmology, 1 Specialty trainee in Medical Ophthalmology, 1 Academic Clinical Fellow, 1 Overseas trainee, 1 Glaucoma Fellow, 1 Glaucoma Research Fellow & 1 GP trainee

 

About the Trust

The Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH) is one of the busiest teaching trusts in England. We serve over 900,000 people across Norfolk, North Suffolk and surrounding areas for specialist services. In 2016/17 our 7,500 members of staff delivered 816,000 outpatient appointments, 90,000 day cases and 90,000 inpatient admissions from our two hospitals.\

Link to the trust webpage

for more details of our training click below : 

James Paget Hospital Ophthalmology Training

 

                     

Welcome to the James Paget University Hospital Ophthalmology Department. We pride ourselves in being a dynamic unit which is highly engaged with teaching delivery. We aspire to deliver the highest quality training possible in a friendly environment with high volumes of surgical and clinical opportunities. The JPUH is an extremely popular unit for trainees to come to and the trainees who have spent time with us have given excellent feedback over the years with many junior trainees requesting to return to the JPUH in their latter years of training as a senior trainee.

Contact :

College Tutor : Bridget Hemmant

We would be happy to arrange a meeting, taster session / week, audit / research project for those that are interested in pursuing a career in ophthalmology.

 

Top 5 Reasons to train at the The James Paget University Hospital :

1. Our eye department is dedicated to delivering excellence in training : We have an EyeSi machine on site and a very well equipped wetlab in which we regularly run courses for regional trainees. The Regional Simulation lead (Mr Butler) is one of our consultant team and Mrs Hemmant organises a Cadaver surgery course in Oculoplastics, lacrimal and orbital surgery which runs once every two years at UEA and attracts international delegates and faculty.

2. We offer our trainee large numbers of surgical opportunities in lists without fellows to share the cases. 

3. We deliver high quality subspecialty training in Glaucoma, Medical retina, VR, Paediatric Ophthalmology and Oculoplastic and lacrimal surgery.

4. We are an extremely friendly unit with very approachable consultants and experienced middle grades keen to teach. We have close links with the UEA.

5. Great Yarmouth is an interesting town with a busy beach front and an attractive coastline and historic docks area. It is not far from Norwich which is a fine city and offers the perfect balance of historic city life. The surrounding stunning Norfolk countryside with broads and beaches is a great place to bring up a family too.

 

Teaching : 

Weekly Friday afternoon teaching program (including audit meetings, weekly Case Presentations and a focus on the subspecialty of the consultant running the teaching each week)

Regional EoE teaching program base half their days at our neighbouring unit NNUH with patient OSCE stations and interactive curriculum teaching

 

Research : 

We have a busy research department led by Mr Burton and a dedicated team that include internationally recognised science research. 

Research interests include 

   - Glaucoma (Clinical trials)

   - Medical Retina (drug trials for AMD)

More information can be found on our research page. 

 

Typical Timetables :

MORNING	AFTERNOON
MON	OST1 Paeds clinic DP OST2 Study session AMD MDT 1.30-2.00	OST1 Eye Cas           OST2 Retina / Cornea clinic MR
TUES	OST1 VR clinic CG OST2 Med Ret clinic BJB Retina Teaching 1.30-2.00	OST1 VR Theatre CG OST2 NeuroOphth BJB / Eye Cas
WEDS	OST1 Paeds / Ocmot Clinic DP OST2 Cornea Theatre  TKB  Glaucoma MDT monthly 1.00-2.00	OST1 Paeds Theatre DP OST2 Cornea Clinic TKB                                            Cornea Teaching monthly 1.00-2.00
THUR	OST1 Thyroid / Plastics clinic BH  OST2 Cataract Theatre   DPT/TKB​	​OST2  Eye CAS OST1  Study session
FRI	​OST1 - Med Ret / Uveitis clinic   BB OST2 - Research Retina MDT 1.00-2.00	TEACHING AFTERNOON

 

Simulation facilities : Model heads with model eyes, Trabeculectomy surgical wetlab, Ocular trauma wetlab, Vitrectomy biopsy teaching, Oculoplastics wetlab training, strabismus wetlab training. See in more detail below

Induction: Mandatory and departmental induction will be provided including a week long induction course in August 2018 for new trainees at the NNUH and more senior trainees will have induction day(s) when they start.

On-call arrangements: The post will include 1 in 7 on-call commitments as part of a busy clinical department with a two tier well supported on call service. 

Study Leave:  Details of study leave allowances are provided in the Health Education England East of England’s Study Leave Guidelines for Trainees.  There is usually a maximum of 30 days study leave which include a 11 day core regional teaching program.

Social Every year we run a Christmas Quiz, and other social events throughout the year. Including a large departmental Christmas party.

Educational Supervisor: The trainee will have a named Educational Supervisor  - Mrs Hemmant who will assist the trainee in developing a personal training programme and annual training plan. 

 

Simulation Resources at James Paget University Hospital

JPUH is a regional leader in simulation training. Tom Butler, Consulltant Ophthalmologist at JPUH is also Regional Simulation Lead for Ophthalmology in the Eastern Deanery. We run courses throughout the year in our state-of-the-art wet lab facility, with support from our enthusiastic team of consultant trainers, including:

• The management of complications in cataract surgery
• Glaucoma surgery
• Oculoplastics surgery
• Corneal procedures including trauma, suturing skills and corneal gluing

The wet lab facility includes:

• 3 surgical microscopes with surgical stations
• 4 Ferris heads and accessories
• EyeSi virtual-reality cataract surgical simulator, fully updated 2018.
• Access to local suppliers of porcine eyes and eye lids

Trainees at JPUH benefit from free access to the EyeSi cataract simulator; preferential booking onto all of our regional courses; additional local wet lab sessions tailored to the needs of our trainees to meet their curriculum requirements.

For more information, please contact Tom Butler, Consultant Ophthalmologist, and Regional Lead for Simulation Training.

 

Meet the Trainee

Zhi Lin

Hi I’m Zee and I have just finished my ST4 year at the James Paget Hospital. 

This is a great Eye Unit to work for. Our educational supervisor Mrs Hemmant is very supportive and protective of trainees, and collaborates with you to ensure you maximise training opportunities. There is dedicated time for quality teaching each Friday afternoon, with the added option of surgical training at our on-site wet lab. I found this alongside the Regional teaching to be exemplary examination preparation, with 100% pass rate for the Part 2 Oral in the last 2 sittings in this Deanery (luckily me included).

Surgical training-wise, there is plenty of opportunity for cataract surgery and we have an Eyesi on-site to brush up your skills – this is a rarity. I’ve performed around 100 cataracts this year, alongside squints and vitrectomies.

On calls are light as there are two emergency clinics a day during working hours. Weekend on calls are undertaken at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, where you have a senior registrar helping out. During week, all of the consultants are approachable and friendly, and there will always be a named consultant supervising you. There are also a few staff grade doctors who are helpful with helping you find your feet at a new hospital.

 

Meet the Trainer

Hi I am Craig Goldsmith I have been a consultant eye surgeon in Great Yarmouth for 10 years.

I specialise in vitreoretinal surgery, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts. The latter are usually complex cases which are good for higher-level trainees to challenge themselves on. I always give as much hands-on exposure as possible within the time and safety constraints, and encourage an audit/paper or 2 for each secondment. Outside of work my passions are music, cricket, hormesis, and eastern philosophy/non-duality.

 

Meet the Researcher

Prof Ben Burton 

    Having trained at Moorfields Eye Hospital I was appointed to set up the ARMD service at James Paget University Hospital in 2007. I also cover Medical Retina, Uveitis and Neuro-ophthalmology as well as performing cataract surgery. 

   Our units philosophy is to offer our trainees the best training experience possible and to this end we have invested in a cataract surgery training simulator, run surgical wet labs and have protected teaching for all trainees. Attachments at our hospital are highly sought after with many trainees wanting to come back after their first year with us.

   I am Research and Development Director for the trust and have built up a large retinal trials unit with state of the art imaging equipment running between 4 and 12 trials at any one time. Current research projects involve home monitoring of wet ARMD and the role of OCT in monitoring and detecting dementia as well as many industry studies for ARMD and Diabetic Retinopathy.

 

Meet the College Tutor

Hi I am Bridget Hemmant, College Tutor at the James Paget University Hospital. I trained at Moorfields Eye Hospital, where I spent about 10 years in total and during which time I did a Corneal wound healing MD project at the Institute of Ophthalmology.   I travelled to Perth, Western Australia for my international subspecialty training in oculoplastic surgery and reconstructive surgery. My first consultant Job was at the Royal Free hospital in Hampstead London, but I knew that life in East Anglia was for me and I escaped from London and moved to a job at the NNUH and JPUH in 2004. I am an examiner for Norwich Medical School and for the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. I have many years of experience of examining in part II and setting exam questions for part I, and Part II. I am an honorary senior lecturer at the UEA and have a lead role in curriculum development for the special senses (ENT, Ophthalmology and Neurology). I am also the lead organiser of the East Anglian oculoplastic, lacrimal and orbital surgery course which is held at the UEA in June and attracts international delegates. Despite this I still manage to balance work and life very well. My husband has planted a vineyard on his land in our village in South Norfolk. He makes the wine from the grapes and has won international and East Anglian awards for his sparkling wines. He also produces some lovely white and rosé wines. Our daughter keeps us out of mischief as she grows up and becomes more interested in sailing, tennis and other active sports plus music.

 

Department                                                      

Clinical Director 

Mr Raja Mohammed                 Medical retina

Consultants

Mrs Bridget Hemmant               Oculoplastic Surgery  Educational supervisor and College Tutor

Prof. Ben Burton                       Medical Retina                               Research Lead

Mr. Craig Goldsmith                  Vitreoretinal Surgery

Mr. Daniel Pharoah                   Paediatric Ophthalmology      

Mr. Jay Menon                          Glaucoma

Mr. Avi Prabhu                          Glaucoma

Mr Tom Butler                           Cornea   Simulation lead

Middle Grade Doctors

Umair Qidwai                           Medical retina, Glaucoma and oculoplastics

Rab Babovic                            Medical retina, Glaucoma and oculoplastics

Roopa Sharma                        Cornea

Mya So                                    Vitreoretinal surgery

Dr Sharma                               Oculoplastic fellow

2 OSTs                                   

1 GP trainee

 

About the Trust

The JPUH is a vibrant university hospital providing the best possible care to a population of 230,000 residents across Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Waveney, as well as to the many visitors who come to this part of East Anglia. Our main site in Gorleston is supported by the Beccles Clinic and other outreach clinics in the local area.

Ensuring our patients are central to everything we do is our priority. Our vision is to be an innovative organisation delivering  compassionate and safe patient care through a well led and motivated workforce.

The James Paget Hospital officially opened on 21 July 1982. We were established as a third wave NHS Trust in 1 April 1993 and became a Foundation Trust on 1 August 2006. This meant we were more able to develop services to meet the needs of our local community with local people and staff directly involved in decisions about their hospitals, and influence the future - our Trust members.

The Trust provides a full range of general acute services plus a number of specialised services; including a hyperbaric chamber for ventilating and monitoring critically ill patients whilst they are receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy. We work collaboratively with a number of local primary care colleagues, community services and other acute trusts, to ensure that patients receive the best care in the right place.

The Trust has c500 inpatient beds located on the James Paget University Hospital. These are a mix of critical, intensive and high dependency care, general surgery and medicine, maternity, paediatrics and neonatal, and escalation beds used when we are experiencing high demand and need to deal with an increased number of patients needing our care. 

We employ over 3,000 staff, both part and full time, making us the largest local employer in the area. Our staff act as ambassadors for the Trust and are guided by four key values which underpin the work that we all do. These are to put patients first; aim to get it right; recognise that everybody counts; and do everything openly and honestly.

We pride ourselves on our continuing commitment to modernising and improving patient care. As a University Hospital, the Trust trains over one third of the medical students from the University of East Anglia and has a strong national reputation for research and excellence in the quality of training facilities. For more on our education, training and research facilities, please click here.

Our priority is ensuring that patients always come first and remain at the heart of everything we do. We focus on high quality, safe and compassionate care, supporting our growing elderly population and developing closer links with our health, social and educational partners through the Sustainability and Transformation Plan.

Listening to patients and carers so that we understand what matters, what works well and what we need to do to improve is also very important to us. If you would like to share your experience of the JPUH, good or bad, we would love to hear from you.

 

Link to the Trust webpage

Emergency Ophthalmology     Silvana Madi     s.madi@nhs.net

Glaucoma    Nuwan Niyadurupola    nuwan.niyadurupola@nnuh.nhs.uk

Cataract   Tom Butler    tom.butler@jpaget.nhs.uk

Medical Retina  M.Rajah    muhammad.raja@jpaget.nhs.uk