James Paget University Hospital
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 :
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MORNING |
AFTERNOON |
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MON
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OST1 Paeds clinic DP OST2 Study session AMD MDT 1.30-2.00 |
OST1 Eye Cas OST2 Retina / Cornea clinic MR |
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TUES
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OST1 VR clinic CG OST2 Med Ret clinic BJB Retina Teaching 1.30-2.00 |
OST1 VR Theatre CG OST2 NeuroOphth BJB / Eye Cas
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WEDS
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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 |
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THUR
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OST1 Thyroid / Plastics clinic BH OST2 Cataract Theatre DPT/TKB
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OST2 Eye CAS OST1 Study session |
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FRI |
OST1 - Med Ret / Uveitis clinic BB OST2 - Research Retina MDT 1.00-2.00 |
TEACHING AFTERNOON
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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.