The cataract surgeon

Since 2002, cataract surgeon Mark Westcott has split his time between several London locations – he is consultant ophthalmic surgeon at St Bartholomew’s and Royal London and Moorfields Eye Hospitals and he operates his own private practice from Harley Street and Moorfields. Criss-crossing London on a daily basis means Westcott sees patients from a wide variety of backgrounds.

‘Every Friday morning I have my cataracts list at Barts and Royal London. There are a high number of Bangladeshi patients on this list, and many of them arrive with very dense cataracts as they tend not to access the services until quite late,’ Westcott says. ‘For many of my elderly patients there is a significant language barrier. I’ve made an effort to learn some Bangladeshi phrases which I use in the operating theatre – like look up, look down and all is going well.’