Introduction to the Skills Centre

The HSA Skills Centre at The Royal College of Ophthalmologists was opened in October 2003. The establishment of the Centre was aided by generous donations from a number of companies in the ophthalmic trade.

The Centre comprises ten work stations with facilities for microsurgical skills acquisition at all levels. Each work station is video linked to a central teaching station and work can be recorded and edited for teaching purposes. VHS and digital tape recording, playback and editing are also available. Each microscope has a teaching arm for individual skills teaching and supervision.

Facilities include Zeiss operating microscopes, a full range of microsurgical instruments and equipment for phacoemulsification. The phacoemulsifiers in the Skills Centre have the most recent specifications with capability to work at high vacuum levels with the most modern modalities of phaco delivery, including fast pulsing and burst modes.

Use of the Surgical Skills Centre

The College welcomes the use of the Surgical Skills Centre, but in order to comply with College guidelines and health and safety regulations, such use is restricted to either those attending prearranged courses at the College, or individual ophthalmologists who have had prior authorisation which can be sought by application through the surgical skills office. Please contact Esther Merrill at skills.centre@rcophth.ac.uk.

2 October 2007 (KM)