The department of ophthalmology at RDPH is accredited by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmology (RANZCO). It is comprised of consultants, registrars, orthoptist, nurses and a clerical staff member.

Consultants

Consultant and head of department, share the public and private workload providing supervision in theatre and clinics.

A consultant provides clinical and some surgical support with outreach responsibilities for remote indigenous communities, plus surgical lists in Gove and Katherine District Hospitals. There are ophthalmologists from Sydney and Adelaide visiting for a few days each year - covering oculoplastic, neuro-ophthalmology, complicated anterior segment, and cornea sub-specialties.

Registrars

Accredited registrars rotate quarterly from the Sydney Eye Hospital training scheme.

Full and part time experienced non-accredited registrars provide specific expertise in medical retina, and for premature infants.

There are weekly tutorials and monthly departmental presentations.

Activity

• Surgery - there is one full day operating list per week (two and a half sessions), plus limited use of the minor operating theatre in tandem. The annual figures are: cataract 650, glaucoma 15, pterygia 40, oculoplastic and lachrymal surgery 50, squint 25.
• Clinics - there are more than 10,000 patients seen in clinics annually. Clinics are held at RDPH daily, Palmerston Medical Centre weekly, and at the renal dialysis unit when required.
• Outreach - there are weekly outreach visits, covering 34 remote Communities and homelands as well as Gove and Katherine District Hospitals.

Education

Formal teaching opportunities include:

• Weekly RDPH grand rounds
• Weekly RDPH division of surgery grand rounds
• Weekly division of surgery journal club
• Weekly radiology meeting