Blind In Business Unfortunately it is not only those poor people in Nepal and other Third World countries whose eye sight problems cannot yet be solved. Despite amazing medical advances, there are still many people in our midst who would cheerfully hand over their life savings or travel to the ends of the earth to undergo any pioneering form of treatment in order to prevent their blindness. They would opt for any sight enhancing surgery, choose lenses or glasses (however…
Meeting Paul Paul Ryb walked purposefully across the reception area of the RBS London head office towards me. As I watched him approach, navigating the hectic lobby and pre lunchtime queues of people forming either side of the high speed revolving doors, I thought: ‘This can’t be him’. “I know; I am not what you expected. Everyone is surprised when they meet me for the first time”. As he shakes my hand his attitude is warm and friendly, immediately dispelling…
Battle Of The Professors The journalist inside me is always thinking in terms of news stories, interesting angles and headlines. Almost all situations and events can be written up in a newsworthy way and even highly specialised topics – like those covered in the ESCRS in Barcelona –can be reported in a manner that should enjoy a wider appeal. Looking back on the congress I find myself wondering what would be its lasting memory for all the participants. What would…
Squinting Super-Models And Other Diner Table Chat I can share with you that as well as the menu (which was somewhat unusual), holidays, and Alena and Ana Rita’s bag snatching adventure – there were a couple of sight related topics which I found fascinating at the London Vision Clinic team dinner. One took us back to the first primitive attempts at cataract surgery. It turned out that nurse Kim’s grand-mother had performed her own version of a cure on those…
Where I Fail To Ask A Burning Question Members of the ESCRS certainly “get about” a bit. Recent gatherings of various size and importance have been held in Paris, London, Athens, Stockholm and Berlin. In Barcelona it was the first time that the city’s prestigious International Convention Centre (CCIB) had been chosen as the venue. The convention centre is enormous – with the sort of dimensions to merit handing out roller skates to delegates alongside the smart red document cases…
Blogger’s Eye View Of Barcelona Barcelona is one of my favourite cities and a place that I know quite well after several visits (the highlight of which was watching my little grand-daughter come in to the world there in June last year). However –with or without babies or eye congresses – I don’t see Barcelona through rose-tinted glasses. I recognise all too clearly that it has a terrible (and, unfortunately, well deserved) reputation for street crime. The historic El Born…
London Vision Clinic At ESCRS Congress 2009 It’s not often that one finds oneself part of a gathering of several thousand people confident in the knowledge that you are unique. I am not talking about one’s DNA … this is more to do with outlook, rather than one’s genetic make-up. This thought occurred to me at the XXVII Congress of the ESCRS held in Barcelona from September 12th to 16th. ESCRS (which still doesn’t roll easily off my tongue) stands…
The Way You See The World It would have been churlish to refuse and there was another reason why I agreed once again to confront my fear of public speaking: I am constantly surprised by the amount of misinformation that still surrounds the whole subject of Laser Eye Surgery. So that’s why I found myself on stage at the prestigious Kempinski Hotel in Estepona explaining to some 150 smart and well-dressed women the ins and outs of my Laser Eye…
Valium In A Volume During my recent broadcasting days it was never known how many people might be tuning in to my programme at any given time. It seems that reliable audience figures for foreign media in Spain are simply unavailable. We always worked on a “guesstimate” based on the guidelines provided by the British consular offices which are calculated by the number of registered Brits. We would then add on percentages of other English speakers in the coastal areas,…
On-line Access From Anywhere The London Vision Clinic’s paper-free approach to eye tests and storage of patients’ notes has very positive practical implications as well as the obvious advantages. Patient’s notes stored in this way can be accessed from anywhere in the world. For instance if Dr Dan -taking a well earned break skiing with his family in Switzerland – is called upon to give a second opinion, he can access all the patient’s files from his mountain top chalet….
