Consultant ophthalmologist Dr Elizabeth Wilkinson has joined NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) team as the third clinical lead for ophthalmology. She joins Lydia Chang and Jon Bhargava to lead GIRFT’s ophthalmology work, and brings medical retina expertise and leadership experience to the programme.
Together, the three clinical leads will work to offer focused support to trusts with the greatest opportunity for outpatient and inpatient improvement, including increasing capacity for high volume any complexity cataract operating lists. Through the GIRFT Further Faster programme, the team will also focus on identifying best practice for elective recovery.
Liz is a consultant ophthalmologist at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and the clinical director at the Centre of Excellence for Eyes in Exeter. She was formerly the NHS England clinical director in eyecare for the South West region and for the NHS Devon Integrated Care Board.
Commenting on her appointment, she said: “I am delighted to be joining the GIRFT team to focus on strategy for ophthalmology in England, in particular seeing how other trusts implement best practice and innovative care and being able to share that nationally to support recovery.”
You can find out more about GIRFT here