Mr David Bessant

David graduated with First Class Honours from the University of St Andrews before transferring to Manchester Medical School, where his MBChB was also awarded with Honours. He gained the Fellowship of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in 1992, winning the Brian Harcourt Medal for the highest mark in the 1992/93 Fellowship examinations. He undertook a Medical Research Council Fellowship, studying inherited eye disorders, from 1995-1998. He was awarded an MD from the University of London for this research work, which culminated in the discovery of a novel gene (NRL) causing autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Genetics).

He has published over 30 scientific papers, review articles and book chapters. In addition he has been a committed MRCP Clinical lecturer for over 15 years, and regularly trains junior ophthalmic surgeons, hospital physicians, general practitioners and optometrists.

David commenced his ophthalmology training at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. From 1992, he carried out his higher surgical training at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, including periods spent in all six specialist services (cornea, glaucoma, medical retina, oculoplastics, paediatrics & strabismus and surgical retina) and attachments to the Royal Free and University College Hospitals.

His training culminated in three years as a Fellow in the cataract and medical retina services at Moorfields Eye Hospital, where he gained extensive experience in the medical and surgical management of cataract and medical retinal disorders.

David is an expert in the field of phacoemulsification cataract surgery, including the use of toric intraocular lens implants to correct astigmatism and multifocal (trifocal) lens implants to minimise the need for spectacles after surgery.

He manages retinal disorders such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, macular drusen, epiretinal membranes and inherited retinal dystrophies. Assessment of these conditions may require further tests such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanning and treatment can include laser photocoagulation and intravitreal injections. He is also experienced in the management of a range of general ophthalmological conditions such as painful eyes, red eyes, dry eyes, blepharitis and the investigation of unexplained visual loss. He can assess and perform minor surgical procedures on chalazia and cysts of the eyelids.

David was appointed to his current Consultant post in the Cataract and Medical Retina services at Moorfields in 2003 and was selected as Moorfields' Clinical Director in charge of Northwest London, responsible for the Moorfields Eye Clinics at Northwick Park, Ealing and Potters Bar Hospitals, in 2012.