New NHS England Clinical Director

National clinical director for eye care

FODO welcomes the appointment of Louisa Wickham as the first NHS national clinical director for eye care.

FODO has already met Miss Wickham, together with other sector partners, at a roundtable event about removing barriers to minimising sight loss and building collaborations across sectors.

Louisa Wickham was appointed a Consultant at Moorfields in 2009. She is a Vitreoretinal Surgeon with a particular interest in the management of diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment and lens dislocation surgery. She has a research degree in the surgical management of retinal detachment and post-operative scarring.

Louisa developed an interest in clinical leadership and management as a trainee, leading her to complete an MSc in health services management at London University. She went on to develop her skills further as a Leadership Fellow for the Health Foundation and as a European Leadership Fellow at INSEAD. She has held a number of leadership roles in the NHS and works with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and Royal Society of Medicine to promote clinical leadership for doctors at all stages of their training.

Louisa is an advocate of surgical transformation and innovation. She was appointed Chief Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital in 2019 and during this time oversaw the trust’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and initial recovery including COVID-19 surgical pathways and the Moorfields cataract drive. Louisa was appointed Medical Director of Moorfields in 2020.

As Miss Wickham comes from a secondary care background, FODO looks forward to working with and supporting her to ensure primary eye care plays its crucial role in expanding capacity and delivering improved patient and population outcomes closer to home.