Why patients from central Hampshire travel here
Winchester is around 35 minutes from Queen Alexandra Hospital, either out on the M3 and east along the M27, or down the A32 through the Meon Valley if you prefer the slower and prettier version. From Bishops Waltham, Wickham or Denmead it is closer to 20 minutes.
I will be honest about who should make that trip. If you want a straightforward upper eyelid procedure and there is a good surgeon nearer to you, distance is a reasonable thing to weigh. Where the journey pays for itself is the subspecialty work, and that is most of what I do.
Portsmouth runs the largest oculoplastic service in the region: three consultant oculoplastic surgeons, more than any other unit nearby, and over a thousand new referrals a year. We hold the only joint periocular oncology multidisciplinary team meeting in the region, which means eyelid cancers are discussed by Mohs surgeons, oculoplastic surgeons and maxillofacial surgeons together rather than sequentially. We run the only joint lacrimal clinic in the region, and the highest volume endoscopic lacrimal service, with weekly operating lists that I lead.
If you have a watering eye that has already had one operation, an eyelid cancer sitting awkwardly near the tear duct, or thyroid eye disease that needs more than one specialty thinking about it, that is the difference worth driving for.
What I treat
- Watery eye assessment and scarless endoscopic tear duct surgery, plus external DCR where it is the better option
- Thyroid eye disease, including orbital decompression
- Eyelid skin cancer excision and reconstruction
- Ptosis correction for a drooping upper eyelid
- Upper eyelid surgery and lower eyelid surgery
- Entropion and ectropion repair
Getting here from Winchester
The quickest route is the M3 south to junction 12, then the M27 east and off at the A27 for Cosham. Queen Alexandra Hospital is at PO6 3LY, just off the A27 on the northern edge of the city, so there is no city centre driving. Allow around 35 minutes outside peak times.
Parking is multi-storey on site with accessible bays at the main entrances. By train, Winchester connects to Cosham via Fareham or Southampton, and there are frequent buses from Cosham to the hospital.
Arranging an appointment
Private appointments are arranged through my secretary, Gina Stacey. A referral letter is helpful but not essential for self funding patients, and insured patients will need a referral plus a pre-authorisation code. I am recognised by Aviva, Allianz, Alliance Healthcare, Bupa and Vitality.
For NHS care, speak to your GP or optometrist about a referral to the eye department at Queen Alexandra Hospital.