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.\