Anaesthetist
The anaesthetist is a medically qualified doctor specializing in anaesthesia, which literally means the prevention of pain.

Anaesthesia is either general, with you being put to sleep during the operation, or local, with anaesthetics being injected around the eye.

Our two main anaesthetists are Dr Andrew Jones and Dr Austin Leach.

Dr Andrew Jones, BSc, MBBS, DGM, FRCA, is currently clinical director of anaesthesia. He qualified at St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1982 and has been working in the ocular oncology Centre since 1994.

Dr Austin Leach, MBBS FRCA, qualified at St Thomas's Hospital in 1982 and has worked with our Centre since 1993.

Business Administrator
The business administrator is very much like a general manager of a firm, responsible for the day to day affairs of the organization.

Miss Jane Kelly has held this post since 1992 and played a major role in the relocation of St Paul's Eye Unit from Old Hall Street to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. She has also contributed greatly to the establishment of the ocular oncology centre.

Her main duties are:

• Communicating with the Department of Health regarding all administrative aspects of the Centre;
• Liaising with the ocular oncologist on all financial matters related to the development of the oncology centre;
• Organizing the purchase of equipment;
• Organizing systems for accommodating patients and relatives, providing interpreters, and handling private fees.

Clinical director
The clinical director is responsible for the running of St Paul's Eye Unit. He or she is normally appointed from the consultant team for a period of three years.

The current clinical director is Mr Jim McGalliard, who is a consultant ophthalmologist specializing in retinal surgery.

Consultant ocular oncologist
The consultant ocular oncologist is an ophthalmologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of ocular tumours. Our consultant ocular oncologist is Mr Bertil Damato, PhD FRCS FRCOphth. He did his undergraduate training in Malta and came to Britain in 1977. He did his postgraduate training in Glasgow. He specialized in ophthalmology since 1980 and has worked in ocular oncology since 1984. In 1993, he established the Liverpool Ocular Oncology Centre.

Data manager
The data manager ensures that our ocular oncology database is complete, correct and up-to-date. Our data manager is Mr Gary Cheetham, who has worked in our oncology Centre since 1997.

The duties of the data manager include:

• Checking the notes every time a patient is seen, to ensure that there are no errors in the database;
• Computerizing data returned by referring ophthalmologists and in questionnaires;
• Computerizing information received from the National Cancer Registry regarding any deaths;
• Retrieving the NHS number of each new patient from the general practitioner or the referring health authority;
• Performing various studies, such as the quarterly review of activity;
• Providing assistance when our usual oncology secretary is absent.

Medical oncologist
The medical oncologist is a doctor specializing in the treatment of cancer by chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

We collaborate with several medical oncologists at Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology.

Nurse
The primary route to obtaining a nursing qualification in England is the Diploma of Higher Education in Nursing. This is of three years duration.

Graduates holding a health-related degree can follow an accelerated diploma programme.

Nurses wishing to work in ophthalmology need to complete a course in ophthalmic nursing, which is a part-time, modular course lasting 42 weeks.

Ophthalmic nurses can also obtain a specialist ophthalmic practitioner qualification, leading to a BA (Hons) in health care practice.

Ocular oncology secretary
The ocular oncology secretary is responsible for all administrative matters related to our Centre. Our secretary is Mrs Julie Sudlow, who has worked with our oncology Centre since 1994.

 

The duties involve:

• Handling all correspondence;
• Typing and filing all letters;
• Organizing clinics and admissions;
• Arranging accommodation for patients and relatives;
• Organizing an interpreter, if required for an overseas patient;
• Preparing operating theatre lists;
• Organizing fax and telephone communications between our Centre and radiotherapists at the Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology;
• Preparing and circulating questionnaires.

Photographer
Ophthalmic photographers specialize in taking colour photographs and angiograms of the eye, using special equipment. The ophthalmic photography unit is headed by Mr Ronnie Jackson.

Pathologist
The pathologist is a doctor specializing in pathology, which is the study of disease. This involves:

Measuring and describing all specimens, both macroscopically (ie, using the naked eye) and with a microscope;

• Providing a diagnosis;
• Reporting tumour characteristics that are of prognostic value;
• Preparing a dictated report, for filing in the casenotes, a copy of which is routinely sent to the referring ophthalmologist;
• Completing a proforma, for computerization of relevant data;
• Organizing a clinico-pathological conference each Monday afternoon, so that all tumour specimens can be discussed in detail with the surgeons;
• Participating in teaching and research.

There are two pathologists currently working with our oncology Centre.

Dr Paul Hiscott, MBBS, PhD, FRCS(Glas), FRCOphth, FRCPath is a Senior Lecturer in Ophthalmic Pathology. He qualified in London in 1977 and has worked with the ocular oncology Centre since 1996. He is Honorary Secretary of the European Ophthalmic Pathology Society and a Member of the UK Intercollegiate Working Group on ophthalmic pathology.

Dr Peter Smith qualified in London in 1976. He has worked at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital since 1985 and has collaborated with our Centre since 1993. Dr Smith has special expertise in cytology, which is the study of cell structure, and is the chairman of the British Society for Clinical Cytology.

Radiologist
The radiologist is a doctor specializing in body imaging, that is, x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging, and computerized tomography.

Radiotherapist
The radiotherapist is a doctor specializing in radiotherapy, which is the treatment of tumours with radiation.

Our radiotherapist is Dr Doug Errington, who qualified at St Mary's Hospital in London in 1973. He has worked with our Centre since 1993. Dr Errington has special expertise in the radiotherapy of ocular disease and has assisted in the development of the proton beam facility at the Douglas Cyclotron Centre. He is also a clinical oncologist.

Senior house officer
The senior house officer (SHO) is a doctor, usually of two or three years standing, who has recently entered a specialty.

Senior house officers in ophthalmology work in the ocular oncology Centre for about six or eight weeks. Their duties involve:

• Examining patients on admission to hospital and preparing patients for surgery;
• Organizing any relevant tests and retrieving the results;
• Assisting at theatre and in the clinics;
• Contributing to patient care in the ward.

Specialist ocular oncology nurse
The specialist ocular oncology nurse is an ophthalmic nurse who dedicates the whole of her time to the care of patients with ocular tumours. Sister Jane Humphreys BA RGN OND obtained her ophthalmic nursing diploma in 1983.

After completing her registration in 1986 she worked first as an ophthalmic nurse and then in the operating theatre, becoming a senior theatre sister. She then joined the ocular oncology centre as a clinical nurse specialist, initially as a research nurse and latterly as a specialist ocular oncology nurse.

The duties involve:

• Counselling patients in the clinic and the ward;
• Providing a telephone help-line service;
• Assisting with patient satisfaction studies and other projects;
• Assisting the consultant at clinics and in the operating theatre.

 

Specialist ophthalmic registrar
The specialist ophthalmic registrar (SpR) is a medical doctor in the process of being trained as an ophthalmologist. This period of training lasts about four and a half years. At the end of this training, an SpR needs to pass an exit examination to be able to compete for a post as consultant ophthalmologist. Specialist registrars rotate through all sub-specialties in ophthalmology, including ocular oncology, spending between three and six months in each firm.

Vitreoretinal surgeon
The vitreoretinal surgeon is a consultant ophthalmologist who specializes in the surgical treatment of retinal disorders. Patients developing retinal complications after local resection or endoresection benefit greatly from the expertise of such specialists.

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