David Probert, chief executive at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London, has been appointed chairman of the World Association of Eye Hospitals (WAEH), the global association of over 40 eye hospitals from all over the world. David will lead the association for the next two years, taking over from Charity Wai, chief operating officer at the Singapore National Eye Centre. The announcement was made at the WAEH 11th annual meeting, which was held from 14-17 June at the Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital – the first time the meeting has been held in China.
Since joining Moorfields in April 2016, David successfully led the hospital to gain a rating of ‘Good’ from the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England and accreditation for five further years as a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre and Clinical Research Facility. He is the former director of strategic development at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) and has 18 years’ experience in healthcare management.
Commenting on his appointment, David said, “The World Association of Eye Hospitals is an invaluable forum to work together and share knowledge. I am looking forward to leading the association to ensure that it continues to promote collaboration in ophthalmology to improve care and outcomes for people with sight loss around the world.”
Over the last three years as chairman, Charity Wai has been instrumental growing the WAEH membership from its eight founding member hospitals to more than 40. She helped connect the association to eye hospitals in the United States, Central America and Asia. The 40 hospitals participate in annual meetings, connecting members across five continents to discuss the future of eye care.
Notes to editors
For more information on the World Association of Eye Hospitals, please contact Maaike van Zuilen, global co-ordinator and communications officer of the WAEH: / +31 6 456 32 117.
High resolution images are available on request.
For information about Moorfields Eye Hospital, please contact the press office on or call 020 7566 2628. For out of hours enquiries please call 020 7253 3411 to speak to the on call press officer.
The World Association of Eye Hospitals was established in Rotterdam in 2006. It was founded by eight eye hospitals as a platform for sharing knowledge and best practices between centres of excellence in ophthalmology. Today the WAEH has already expanded into a global association of more than 40 eye hospitals worldwide. All members are focused on delivering the best and most safe ophthalmic care.
Founding members:
Singapore National Eye Centre (Singapore)
Moorfields Eye Hospital (London, UK)
The Rotterdam Eye Hospital (Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Tun Hussein On National Eye Hospital (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (Melbourne, Australia)
The Department of Ophthalmology of the University Hospital Leuven (Leuven, Belgium)
Rutnin Eye Hospital (Bangkok, Thailand)
St. Erik Eye Hospital (Stockholm, Sweden)
For the complete list of eye hospitals, please visit the website: www.waeh.org
WAEH 11th annual meeting took place from 14-17 June at the Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital in Tianjin, China. Charity Wai, chief operating officer at the Singapore National Eye Centre, chaired this year’s meeting. Topics discussed included the impact of artificial Intelligence in ophthalmology, business models based on the needs of different eye diseases and the latest innovations in eye hospital management and eye hospital design.
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the world’s leading eye hospitals, providing expertise in clinical care, research and education. Together with its academic partners at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, it forms one of the largest ophthalmic research sites in the world, with the largest patient population in Europe or the USA. It has provided excellence in eye care for more than 200 years and continues to be at the forefront of new breakthroughs and developments. The trust is an integral part of one of the UK’s first academic health science centres, UCL Partners, and is now part of one of the first science health networks. For further information, please visit www.moorfields.nhs.uk
