General description of the work Consultant Ophthalmologists undertake
The Consultant Ophthalmologist is an eye specialist. He/She deals with diseases, injuries and operations involving the eyes.
Injuries to the eyes include foreign bodies in the eyes, perforating injuries to the eyes as well as corneal abrasions and traumatic retinal detachment.
Diseases of the eyes include glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.
Operations on the eyes include squint and cataract surgery as well as laser eye treatments.


Most common clinical areas / procedures leading to a claim of clinical negligence
• laser eye treatment for the correction of long- or short-sightedness
• the management of metallic foreign bodies in the eyes
• trauma to the eyes and its management
• delay in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma


Sub-Specialities / Alternative and Additional job titles
The Consultant Ophthalmologist may be known a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon or simply as an Eye Surgeon or an Eye Specialist.


Usual Qualifications
The Consultant Ophthalmologist will usually be known as Mr rather than Dr and will have FRCS (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons) after his/her name as well as FRCOphth (Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists).


Academic Appointments
The Consultant Ophthalmologist may be a Lecturer or Professor in Ophthalmology at a Medical School. He/She may be an Examiner for one of the Royal College of Surgeons.


Our Experts
The Consultant Ophthalmologists who prepare reports on medical negligence cases on our behalf are all experienced NHS Consultants. They are in active clinical practice and they are experienced at preparing medico-legal reports. They are willing to attend Court in the UK and Ireland provided that they are given enough notice and that their fees and expenses for attending are agreed in advance.
Each of the Consultant Ophthalmologists who prepare reports on our behalf has particular areas of clinical interest within his/her Ophthalmology practice and we match each case with the most appropriate Consultant.


The Report
The Consultant Ophthalmologists prepare their Reports for the benefit of the Courts. In other words, they prepare unbiased Reports in order to help the Court to decide the case, rather than to help one side or the other.
The Consultant Ophthalmologists examine all the documentation and details of the case and look at the standard of care that the Client received. They then give their opinion on whether or not the standard of care that the Client received fell below the standard of care he/she should have received.
Where necessary they provide background documentation and information to back-up their opinion.


Documentation required
The most important documentation is the Client’s Hospital Records. This documentation will usually contain their Doctors’ Records, Operation Records, Nursing Records, Out-Patient Clinic Records and Correspondence.
There may be X-rays and CT or MRI scans. There may also be Optician’s Notes. If these are related to the event in dispute then copies of these will be of help to the Consultant Ophthalmologist when he/she is preparing his/her Report.
An account of events by the Client and/or the Client’s family will be of assistance to the Consultant Ophthalmologist. Copies of the patient’s Attendances with their Solicitor will also help to clarify the areas of care that are at issue in the case.


Time-scale for the Report
Once we have confirmation to proceed with the Report the Consultant Ophthalmologists can usually prepare their Reports within 8 to 10 weeks. If a Report is needed urgently we will endeavour to have it prepared sooner than this.


Price of the Report
Once we receive all the documentation we will provide you with a quotation for the price of the Report from the Consultant Ophthalmologist. If you decide to go ahead with the Report we will have it prepared and we will forward it to you on receipt of payment.
If you decide not to go ahead with the Report after receiving the quotation we will return all the documentation to you and there is no charge.


Queries on the Report / Addendums
The Reports from the Consultant Ophthalmologists are usually very clear and give a concise opinion on the standard of care the Client received.
If minor clarifications are needed then these will be provided at no extra cost.
If, after the Report has been completed, additional documentation needs to be examined by the Consultant Ophthalmologist or if additional work needs to be done in order to provide an Addendum to the Report, then there may be an additional charge. If so, we will inform you of this and only proceed with your approval.


Client Examination
The Consultant Ophthalmologists do not normally need to see the Client in order to prepare a Report on the standard of care he/she has received. They can usually prepare their Report from the case notes and other documentation.
If the case does progress and a Report is needed on the Client’s current medical condition and/or prognosis for the future, then it is likely that the Client will need to see the Consultant Ophthalmologist for an examination and we can make the necessary arrangements.