Medical Retina
Manchester Royal Eye Hospital
Medical Retina at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital
The Medical Retina service at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital provides specialist assessment and treatment for disorders affecting the back of the eye. Observers and fellows can gain exposure to care for age-related macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, retinal vascular occlusions and inherited retinal disorders including retinitis pigmentosa.
Clinical care includes medical treatment using eye drops, intravitreal injections, laser treatment and multimodal retinal imaging. Imaging available within the hospital includes digital fluorescein angiography, widefield fundus photography, indocyanine green angiography, optical coherence tomography and B-scan ultrasonography.
The service provides a comprehensive one-stop model for age-related macular degeneration and other conditions requiring regular intravitreal injections, supported by specialist nurses, optometrists and ophthalmic photographers. Observers and fellows can see how high-volume medical retina pathways are delivered through multidisciplinary working, structured imaging review and patient-centred clinic flow.
The service is led by consultants with expertise in medical retina, macular disease and uveitis. The profile is especially suited to international ophthalmology doctors seeking practical exposure to NHS retinal assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, injection pathways, imaging interpretation, clinical governance and research-informed practice.
Fellowships and observerships at Manchester Specialist Health Academy provide international clinicians with structured opportunities to experience high quality healthcare training within a leading NHS environment. Both pathways offer consultant oversight, a clear induction, and access to modern clinical settings that support a strong understanding of advanced patient care. Participants are welcomed into a professional community that encourages learning, collaboration, and engagement with the culture of Manchester.
While fellows take part in more in depth clinical development, gaining exposure to subspecialties, procedures and research, observers focus on shadowing and understanding multidisciplinary practice within NHS services. Both groups benefit from involvement in clinics, team discussions, and wider learning activities such as simulation sessions, CPD opportunities, and quality improvement insight.
Academic contributions and awards
The Royal College of Ophthalmologists National Ophthalmology Database Age-related Macular Degeneration Audit, Report 2, 2026: Romi Chhabra contributed to a national audit paper reporting real-world baseline characteristics, care pathways and 12-month outcomes for eyes starting treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
Retinopathy in Mucopolysaccharidoses, Ophthalmology, 2025: Manchester Royal Eye Hospital authors contributed to a prospective longitudinal study describing the onset, presentation and progression of retinopathy in mucopolysaccharidoses using retinal imaging and electrodiagnostic assessment.
Bilateral ocular toxoplasmosis in a returning traveller, BMJ Case Reports, 2021: Marta Ugarte contributed to a case report highlighting severe bilateral atypical retinochoroiditis, diagnostic testing and treatment response.
Research and clinical trials: The Medical Retina service includes consultants actively involved in medical retina and uveitis clinical trials, scientific presentation, peer-reviewed publication and review activity.
Teaching and workforce development: Consultant leadership includes training ophthalmology doctors, medical retina and uveitis fellows, specialist optometrists, ophthalmic science practitioners and nurse injectors within high-throughput macular clinics.
Rare and complex cases
- Complex neovascular age-related macular degeneration requiring longitudinal monitoring and intravitreal therapy planning.
- Diabetic retinal disease, including cases requiring coordinated assessment, retinal imaging and treatment escalation.
- Retinal vascular occlusions and macular oedema requiring diagnostic imaging, treatment decision-making and outcome review.
- Inherited retinal disease presentations, including retinitis pigmentosa and other retinal dystrophy patterns.
- Inflammatory retinal and choroidal disorders seen across medical retina and uveitis pathways.
- Rare multisystem retinopathies and cases where retinal imaging supports diagnosis, monitoring and multidisciplinary care.
- Atypical ocular infection affecting the retina, including severe retinochoroiditis presentations.
Why Manchester?
Manchester is a city of innovation and progress, renowned as the world’s first industrial city and still leading in science, healthcare, and technology. With excellent transport links and a vibrant, multicultural atmosphere, it offers an inclusive environment for learning and professional growth.
Beyond your placement, Manchester offers something for everyone - from watching the iconic Manchester derby to exploring world-class museums and galleries. With vibrant music, sport, and culture, the city truly has it all. Combining heritage and modernity, it creates a unique setting for personal enrichment and memorable experiences whilst you develop professionally.
Meet our expert supervisors
Our team consists of highly qualified and motivated professionals, who are all experts in their field. With many years of experience in the industry, they have the expertise to provide comprehensive, first-rate services to our clients.
Romi Chhabra
MBBS, DOMS, FRCS, FRCOphth
Ms Romi Chhabra is a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Clinical Lead for Medical Retina and Macular Services at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. Appointed as a Consultant in 2016, she specialises in medical retina, macular disease, and uveitis, with expertise in the diagnosis and management of complex retinal and inflammatory eye conditions. Alongside her clinical practice, she is actively involved in clinical research, teaching, and the training of ophthalmologists, medical retina fellows, and allied healthcare professionals.
Abha Gupta
MbChB, FRCopht, MAcadMEd
Ms Abha Gupta is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital with specialist interests in cataract surgery, medical retina, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and hydroxychloroquine retinopathy screening. Following training in Manchester, Edinburgh, and Leeds, she has developed expertise in clinical practice and medical education, and is actively involved in teaching, examining, and training ophthalmologists.
Our signature programmes
Observership
Medical Retina
Objectives
By the end of the placement, the visiting professional should be able to:
- Understand the structure and flow of NHS medical retina clinics, including triage, imaging, consultant review and follow-up planning.
- Observe assessment and management of common and complex medical retina conditions, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease and retinal vascular occlusion.
- Develop interpretation skills across OCT, fluorescein angiography, widefield photography, indocyanine green angiography and B-scan ultrasonography.
- Observe multidisciplinary working between consultants, specialist nurses, optometrists, ophthalmic photographers and injection clinic teams.
- Gain insight into patient safety, consent, governance and outcome monitoring within high-volume intravitreal injection pathways.
- Build understanding of how research, audit and clinical trials inform medical retina service delivery.
Eligibility
- The visiting professional must have sufficient English language skills to engage meaningfully in the observership.
Fellowship
Medical Retina
Objectives
By the end of the placement, the visiting professional should be able to:
- Consolidate supervised clinical assessment and decision-making in medical retina clinics, aligned to the fellow’s experience and agreed scope of practice.
- Strengthen diagnostic reasoning using multimodal retinal imaging and structured review of disease progression and treatment response.
- Gain supervised exposure to treatment planning for intravitreal therapy, laser pathways and complex retinal disease monitoring.
- Develop confidence in multidisciplinary service delivery, escalation decisions, clinic prioritisation and patient-centred communication.
- Engage with audit, clinical research, pathway improvement or teaching activity where available within the placement structure.
- Apply learning to future development as a medical retina clinician, service improver, educator or clinical leader.
Eligibility
- Postgraduate Qualification: Applicants must hold an overseas-recognised postgraduate medical qualification (MD, MS, Masters) in ophthalmology or a relevant specialty.
- Experience: Minimum of 3 years’ recent experience in ophthalmology or a related specialty within the last 5 years, including at least 12 months of continuous practice before applying.
- Training Level: Equivalent to ST5 or above, or post-CCT clinicians seeking subspecialty exposure.
- Language Proficiency: IELTS Academic with 7.0 in each band and overall 7.5, or OET Medicine with Grade B in all domains, with certificate validity within 24 months.
- Registration: GMC registration is required for fellowship activity. Sponsorship support may be available through approved routes where appropriate.
- Applicants must not have failed PLAB exams previously.
- Visa sponsorship is only available through approved routes; self-funded visas outside agreed schemes are excluded.
- Additional specialty expectation :Prior ophthalmology experience and previous exposure to retina, macular disease, retinal imaging, intravitreal therapy pathways or uveitis services is desirable.