The “Cataract Audit” – A Professionally Led Audit of Cataract Surgery in the UK Independent Sector
In association with:
The attempts by certain Private Medical Insurance companies to create restricted networks in ophthalmic surgery (in particular cataract surgery) has been accompanied by attacks on the quality of UK eye surgery and consultant ophthalmologists (see news briefings on this web site). This has caused distress to patients and consultants alike. In order to establish the truth of this matter FIPO, working with the AOO (Association of Ophthalmologists) has set up a detailed audit of cataract surgery as it is currently being performed in the Independent Sector in the UK. The question of anaesthesia for cataract surgery will be reviewed.
Contributing Consultants
Please note that to ensure the integrity of our audit, registrations can only be accepted from invited consultants.
If you have received a direct invitation from FIPO or AOO then you will need first register your interest by visiting the web page detailed in your email or invitation letter.
Once you have registered you may then login to the system:
If you are a qualified UK consultant ophthalmologist, have not received an invitation directly but would like to apply to join in this audit please follow the link below:
Panel of Supervising Ophthalmologists
This cataract audit will be supervised by the following panel:
- Christopher Bentley FRCOphth
Honorary Senior Lecturer Imperial College
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Central Middlesex Hospital, London - Mr Philip A Bloom FRCS FRCOphth
Consultant Ophthalmologist
Lead Clinician & Service Director
Western Eye Hospital (St Mary's Hospital NHS Trust) - Mr Paul B Chell MB ChB FRCOphth DO
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Clinical Director Head and Neck Surgery Worcestershire Acute NHS Trust
President Midland Ophthalmological Society
President Elect UKISCRS - Mr Richard Packard MD DO FRCS FRCOphth
Chairman Association of Ophthalmologists
Board Member, European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons
Member Cataract Clinical Committee, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon Prince Charles Eye Unit, Windsor, Berkshire
Director Arnott Eye Associates, London - Paul Rosen FRCS FRCOphth
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Oxford Eye Hospital
President Elect European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons - David Spalton FRCP FRCS FRCOphth
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, St Thomas Hospital London
President United Kingdom and Ireland Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons
No member of the panel will be able to identify any individual consultant, patient or hospital.
Audit Summary
- This is an entirely confidential audit and at no stage can any individual (consultant or patient) nor any institution (individual hospital or a major hospital group), be identified either publicly, to FIPO or the supervising panel.
- Data entry in this audit will be restricted to invited consultants in the UK. Initially this audit is confined to patients treated in the Independent Sector only (in order to get a purely consultant based review).
- Consultants ophthalmologists will be invited to register and then to enter their personal patient data for those undergoing cataract surgery.
- This audit will run for a limited time period and this may be halted at any stage (depending on numbers submitted).
- This audit will be web based and consists of two parts (a pre and post operative clinical data set and a patient assessment form – VF14).
- The data will be analysed by a panel of supervising ophthalmologists (as above).
- Results of this audit may be published in an aggregated format but at no stage will any specific individual or institution be identified. Consultants and institutions may be given their own selected data for use as they see fit (appraisal, promotion).
- Individual consultants will be able to access their personal data. Other output data from hospitals or consultant groups may be requested by contacting us.
- This project is sponsored through FIPO and all data in this audit will remain the property of FIPO which retains the right to deal with this data as it sees fit but within the strict bounds of confidentiality laid down.