From East London, South Africa, To London W1

What is it about the London Vision Clinic that makes it tough to leave?

As a patient, perhaps it is the fact that on each visit you are made to feel special. Your needs and questions are always answered  and met with care and patience. Probably these concerns are similar to every other person who is undergoing Laser Eye Surgery; but  you are allowed to imagine that you are the only patient who has ever asked them.

The clinic itself is an attractive peaceful haven which, although grand and impressive, is in no way intimidating or imposing.

It sounds ridiculous to say that having eye tests (and indeed the Laser Eye Surgery itself) could be a pleasant experience: but appointments at the London Vision Clinic are actually quite pleasurable – as well as being highly professional and skilled at their jobs, the clinic staff are also friendly and caring.

It’s as if we former patients are members of an elite club able to stay in touch with the London Vision Clinic via fun annual reunions at the July 4th BBQ and now – hopefully- also through this blog where we welcome everyone’s comments and input.

But that is from the patient’s perspective… what about the members of staff that are chosen to join the illustrious London Vision Clinic team?

Take the case of ophthalmic surgeon, Glenn Carp. He had expected to stay just one year at the London Vision Clinic – a far cry from his native South Africa. Six years later he is a firm fixture and now performing up to 45% of all operations. Recently he told me how it all happened.

Born in Cape Town, Glenn was brought up in the town of East London before moving to Johannesburg to study and later attend medical school. He had known from an early age that his chosen medical field would be eye health and, after qualifying, he was advised by his professor  that the future of ophthalmology lay in being super specialised, a trend increasingly seen in the UK and the USA especially.

After completing a fellowship in corneal surgery he learned about refractive surgery alongside Prof Reinstein. Glenn decided that he would like to watch him in action and “pick his brain” for a year. It turned out that there was more than a year’s worth of “pickings” to be had and eventually he was invited to join the London Vision Clinic team as an ophthalmic surgeon.

His plans to move on or even to return to South Africa were put on hold when he realised that any step away from the London Vision Clinic would mean taking several steps backwards in terms of the standard of work he was able to achieve with the  advanced, specialist equipment (much of which Dr Dan helped develop) at his disposal.

London, England, might not have the climate of East London, SA, but it does have quite a lot of other things going for it not least the London Vision Clinic.