Why patients travel east along the M27
Southampton is well served for general eye care, and it would be silly to suggest otherwise. Oculoplastic surgery is a narrower field, and the argument for making the 35 minute trip east is about the unit rather than the postcode.
Portsmouth runs the largest oculoplastic service in the region. Three consultant oculoplastic surgeons work here, more than any other unit nearby, and the service takes over a thousand new referrals a year. We run the only joint periocular oncology multidisciplinary team meeting in the region, which brings Mohs surgeons, oculoplastic surgeons and maxillofacial surgeons around one table for eyelid cancers instead of handing patients between clinics. We run the only joint lacrimal clinic in the region. And the endoscopic lacrimal service here is the highest volume nearby, with weekly operating lists that I lead.
That last point is the one that brings most Southampton patients over. Tear duct surgery is a low volume operation in most units and a weekly one here, and for a watering eye that has already had a failed procedure, volume and experience are close to the whole argument.
I also know the area well. My medical degree and BSc were at the University of Southampton, and part of my ophthalmology training was in Southampton within the Wessex Deanery, alongside placements in Salisbury, Bournemouth and Portsmouth.
What I treat
- Watery eye assessment, endoscopic DCR and external DCR
- Punctoplasty and upper system tear surgery, including Lester Jones tubes
- Thyroid eye disease and orbital decompression
- Orbital tumours
- Eyelid skin cancer excision and reconstruction
- Ptosis correction, upper eyelid surgery and lower eyelid surgery
Getting here from Southampton
Straight along the M27 east, leaving at junction 12 for Cosham. Queen Alexandra Hospital is at PO6 3LY just off the A27, on the northern edge of Portsmouth, so the city centre traffic is not part of the journey. Allow around 35 minutes outside peak times, and closer to 25 from Hedge End, Botley or Bursledon.
Parking is multi-storey on site with accessible bays at the main entrances. By train, Southampton Central to Cosham is direct via Fareham, with a short bus or taxi at the other end.
Arranging an appointment
Private appointments go through my secretary, Gina Stacey. A referral letter from your GP or optometrist is helpful but not essential if you are self funding, and insured patients will need a referral and a pre-authorisation code. I am recognised by Aviva, Allianz, Alliance Healthcare, Bupa and Vitality.
For NHS care, speak to your GP or optometrist, who will advise whether a referral to Queen Alexandra Hospital is straightforward from your practice.