Clinical Staff

Roland Ling read Medicine at Oxford University and qualified in 1994. He started his career in Ophthalmology in 1996 and had most of his ophthalmic training in the South West of England.

In 2002 he was awarded a prestigious Retinal Fellowship in the University of Toronto, and spent a year specialising in Retinal Diseases in one of the top centres in North America. He returned to England in 2003 and was appointed Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon in Exeter.

Mr Ling performs Cataract surgery to a high standard using the latest Micro incisional technique (MIC) and Intraocular Lens Technology. He also specialises in treating Retinal Disorders. He was the first Retinal Specialist in the South West Peninsula to introduce anti-VEGF treatment (Avastin and Lucentis). He brought innovative vitreoretinal technologies to Exeter. He was the first Retinal surgeon in the South West Peninsula to transition to the 23-Gauge small incisional suture less vitrectomy system. He is an acknowledged expert in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy, and was Lead Clinician for the Exeter Diabetic Eye Screening Service.

In 2015 Mr Ling set up the Medical Eye Clinic in Exeter in partnership with his Optometry colleagues, Mr James and Charles Bill. This independent, privately owned eye clinic specialises in high end Micro Incisional Cataract surgery (MIC) and is the first clinic to have the full Zeiss Cataract Surgery Suite in the UK. The Medical Eye Clinic uses the extensive range of Intraocular Lenses from Zeiss, and proudly becomes the Zeiss Reference Centre in the UK.

Mr. Ling combines his consummate professional skills with an amiable personality. He is sensitive to the treatment needs of his patients, and place great emphasis in cultivating understanding and involvement of his patients in their treatments.

Mr Ling is married with three children. He is a keen amateur violinist in his leisure time, and enjoys making music with his children who are also budding young violinists.

Dr Allman has been a Consultant Anaesthetist at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust since 1999. His anaesthetic training was completed in Perth, Western Australia, and the Nuffield Department of Anaesthesia, Oxford, where he spent two years as the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland Research Fellow. He is author of “Anaesthesia for Cataract Surgery” in Yanoff and Duker’s US textbook of Ophthalmology and co-author of the Royal College of Anaesthetist’s Ophthalmic Anaesthesia Guidelines 2016-17. In 2016 he was co-opted as anaesthetic advisor for the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) committee on Cataract Surgery, and has been council member of the British Ophthalmic Anesthesia Society (BOAS) since 2009, becoming President in 2017. He is also Editor of the bestselling “Oxford Handbook of Anaesthesia” and has lectured on Ophthalmic Anaesthesia across four continents. In 2008 he first described the ‘Incisionless’ technique of sub-Tenon’s anaesthesia for Cataract Surgery, which is now used worldwide. Dr Keith Allman has recently been elected the President of the British Ophthalmic Anaesthesia society.

Charles graduated from Glasgow University in 1996 and finished his training at The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. Charles still runs a paediatric clinic at Torbay Hospital. Through his role in Bill opticians and the Medical Eye clinic Charles became chairman of Devon Local Optical Committee (2011-2015) and remains vice chair to this day. He speaks regularly at the National Optometry Conference and is involved in the training of optometrist through their CET program. The Medical Eye Clinic is a registered provider of CET training for optometrists.

He has done extensive work nationally including becoming a director of LOCSU and speaking to Members of Parliament about eye health care.

Charles is a supporter of high quality healthcare and as managing director of the Medical Eye clinic makes sure that this is delivered to all the patients that enter.

James first qualified as a dispensing optician in December 1993 and then went on to gain The Association of British Dispensing Opticians’ specific Contact Lens Practitioners qualification.

Before returning to Devon James managed a number of prestigious practices in London’s West End. These including fashionable outlets in Covent Garden and Kings Road, as well as a Contact Lens Clinic in Wigmore Street, considered by many in the industry to be the home of optometry in Britain.

James has overseen the gradually expansion of the Bill Opticians group and firmly believes that the route to a successful optical practice is making ocular health the number one priority. Very few optical businesses would be able to cope with all aspects of a patient’s eye care needs but James is pleased that the affiliation between Bill Opticians and The Medical Eye Clinic can provide this. Eye examinations, spectacles, contact lenses, on-going eye disease monitoring and complex eye surgery can all be provided by our highly trained clinicians.

Mr Bhaskar Gupta is a Consultant Ophthalmologist based at University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust since 2017, with an interest in the vitreoretinal disorders (posterior segment) of the eye and cataract surgery. He is also the IT lead for ophthalmology at UHS.

Mr Gupta qualified in medicine in 2001 from B. J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, in India and went on to complete a master’s degree in ophthalmology from the same institute gaining a Gold Medal. He then went on to gain a higher research degree (DM) from Cranfield University, UK. He studied ethnic variation in diabetic retinopathy in London. He has more than 50 peer reviewed publication and invited and an invited reviewer to BJO, Survey of Ophthalmology and International Journal of Ophthalmology.
Mr Gupta in 2015 completed his specialist ophthalmology training from South West Peninsular Deanery. Subsequently, he went on to undertake two years of sub-specialty training in vitreoretinal disorder at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading and University Hospital Southampton.

He specialises in treating patients with vitreoretinal disorders, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration. He is highly experienced in high volume cataract surgery. He has sub-specialised in treatments of retinal conditions like retinal detachment, macular hole, epiretinal membrane, and vitreous floaters.

To date he has performed close to 4500 cataract surgeries and 1500 vitrectomies. He holds practice privileges at Spire Southampton, Optegra Fareham, Guildford and Medical Eye Centre, Exeter.

Mr Gupta is also involved in charitable work. He supports two charity organisations Khmer Sight, Cambodia and BKL Walawalkar Charitable Trust, India, where he is involved in teaching and performing cataract surgery.

I am an experienced Vitreoretinal Surgeon with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital and health care industry with special interest in Vitreoretinal and modern cataract surgery, and Medical and Continuous Adult Education. I am a strong research professional with an MSc focused in Health Care Administration and Management.

On June 2018 I was appointed as Vitreoretinal Consultant (substantive post) in University Hospital of Southampton NHS Trust where I am serving with commitment my duties. I had the privilege to work in London's best known teaching hospital, St Thomas' Hospital, under the guidance of world leading Vitreoretinal consultants and gained extensive experience with the innovative 3D Visualization System for eye surgeries. I was also honoured to be a member of one of the world’s leading eye hospitals, Moorfields Eye Hospital (City Road) and the Institute of Ophthalmology of UCL expanding my horizons as retina specialist.

I specialise in the surgical treatment of vitreous and retinal diseases. I perform modern vitrectomy for retinal detachment, macular problems (macular hole, macular pucker/epiretinal membrane), handicapping vitreous floaters and diabetic eye disease together with laser treatment and modern cataract surgery.

I am also specialised in medical treatments of retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusions and diabetic macula oedema including intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF therapies and steroid implants.

Along with my duties as a Vitreoretinal Consultant at the University Hospital of Southampton NHS Trust, I am also a certified clinical and educational supervisor of Wessex Deanery and Royal College of Ophthalmology for VR fellows, Trainees in Ophthalmology and CESR trainees. I am also an active member of the University of Southampton as supervisor of Research Projects for Medical Students and a regular lecturer for their Ophthalmology teaching.

I introduced the electronic diary for the patients of Vitreoretinal Theatre service in UHS NHS Trust, which is now used for the whole Eye Theatre Services, and I continue to develop the electronic patient record referral system within the Eye Unit and for the peripheral sites of UHS NHS Trust, improving patient safety and delivering care. As part of my managerial role I am the Complaints Lead for the Ophthalmology Care Group of UHS NHS Trust.
Awards received:

• Staff Star Awards 2015 - MTW NHS Trust: Runner up for the "Employee of the Year" Award
• Staff Star Awards 2015 - MTW NHS Trust: one of the five nominees for the "Patients First" Award
• Future Internet Assembly, 2014: Best Project Award for Live City E-Health, Video-to-Video Project
• 43rd National Greek Congress of Ophthalmology: Best Ophthalmology Photo Award 2010
• 4th General Senior High School, Karditsa, Thessaly, Greece, 1994: Best Graduating Student

"Dedicated to his profession’ and ‘a pleasure to work with’ are just two of the phrases used to describe this individual, who received a number of nominations praising his caring, respectful approach to patients, calm and non-judgemental attitude, and his willingness to take the time to share his experience and knowledge with all of his colleagues. This individual is valued for his diligence and commitment, as well as the high standards of care he delivers to patients. One employee described this person as being ‘unfailingly enthusiastic about his specialty, while always finding the time to help."

These words were read out at the Staff Star Awards 2015 at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust before receiving my award as the runner up - Employee of the Year, as a recognition of my daily optimal performance as a colleague, a team member and a doctor with my patients at the heart of it. At the same event I was one of the five nominees for the "Patients First" Award.

Adam Booth is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon specialising in glaucoma management and cataract surgery.

He qualified in Medicine in 1989 at the University of Birmingham Medical School. His career in ophthalmology started in 1991 in Sydney with the renowned Professor Fred Hollows. In 1993 he joined the Yorkshire Ophthalmology Training rotation. He interrupted his ophthalmic training for three years to study the genetics of glaucoma at the University of Leeds and University of California San Francisco culminating in the award of the PhD degree. In 2002 he was appointed to the prestigious Clinical Glaucoma Fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital for one year.

Mr Booth has been a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at the Royal Eye Infirmary Plymouth since 2003. He has been Clinical Lead for Glaucoma since his appointment.

He specialises in the diagnosis and management of all types of glaucoma. Glaucoma management is tailored to the patient’s needs and condition. It can be managed using glaucoma drops, laser such as gentle SLT laser, or surgery including the latest minimally invasive techniques such as iStent W. Mr Booth has performed thousands of cataract operations employing the latest techniques.

Mr Booth is actively involved in teaching and research. He was appointed Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Plymouth in 2020. He is Lead Examiner for the FRCS Ophthalmology clinical exam and has examined widely in Europe, the Middle East and Indian sub-continent.

Outside work Mr Booth enjoys sailing, tennis, squash and cycling.

Mr Muhammad Aslam Razzaq has been working as a consultant ophthalmologist with the North Devon Healthcare Trust since 2014 *.

For over 15 years, Mr Razzaq has trained and worked as an ophthalmologist in North Devon, changing the lives of patients.

Mr Razzaq qualified in medicine from Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Pakistan in 2000. He did his primary fellowship examination and early ophthalmic surgical training in Pakistan.

Mr Razzaq passed his UK PLAB examination and moved to the UK in 2004. He started his post-graduate medical training in the UK and worked in London and Leicester Hospitals. He went on to pass his Royal College of Ophthalmologist London examinations and completed his ophthalmic surgical training in North Devon.

Completing his extensive surgical training locally, Mr Razzaq moved on to honorary vitreoretinal placement at RDLE in Exeter for experience in posterior segment surgery. Thanks to this, Mr Razzaq has gained extensive surgical experience in cataract and glaucoma surgery while as a local specialist doctor, and now works as a consultant at the NDHT in cataract surgery, glaucoma surgery, medical retina/diabetic retinal diseases and uveitis or inflammatory eye diseases.

Mr Razzaq is well-renowned for his expertise in complicated and high-risk cataract operations with great success. He has performed over 5000 cataract operations and hundreds of glaucoma surgeries including laser treatments.
In recent years, Mr Razzaq has begun to hold private practice privileges at the North Devon Healthcare Trust, Barnstaple and Medical Eye Clinic, Exeter.

Mr Razzaq is very much involved in charity work and has been working with international charities to aid in the effort against eye disease. He is currently involved in setting up and running a charitable eye hospital in his hometown, a rural area of Pakistan to provide excellent eye care services to the poor and needy patients.

(He has been the Health Education Southwest Deanery Tutor for specialist and associate specialist (SAS) doctors for the last 7 years within the NDHT and as well as this Mr Razzaq has been the BMA representative for SAS doctors at LNS/JLNC of Trust over the last 10 years.

He has worked as the Lead Clinician and
Other Service Lead for ophthalmology at the NDHT along with service development roles and clinical commitments as an ophthalmologist.
*RCOpth National Ophthalmology Audit results of consecutive cataract surgery as National Benchmark::

Mr Razzaq’s Rate of Complication of cataract surgery (PCR): 0.25% (Last 1622 cases) as compared to National Consultants mean PCR complication rate= 1.1%
Mr Razzaq’s Visual loss rate= 0.24% ( last 1399 cases) as compared to National Benchmark mean Visual Loss rate= 0.9%)

Dr Pereni qualified in medicine at the Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Following basic medical training, she obtained a PhD in biomaterial associated infections at the University of Nottingham. She then undertook research in Dundee and Leeds Universities before returning to medical practice having completed the Foundation Training in West Yorkshire. Following this, she completed her ophthalmology training within the Severn Deanery (Bristol, Bath, and Swindon).
After completing comprehensive training in all aspects of eye surgery, Dr Pereni undertook a further fellowship in oculoplastic, orbital, and lacrimal surgery at the prestigious Bristol Eye Hospital.
In 2020 Dr Pereni was appointed as a Consultant Eye Surgeon with a specialist interest in oculoplastic, lacrimal, and orbital surgery at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital where she treats all aspects of oculoplastic surgery, including orbital and thyroid eye disease.
She is passionate about improving patient care through quality improvement work and is in the process of obtaining a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Leadership and Management from Keele University in Staffordshire.
Dr Pereni offers the following treatments at the Medical Eye Clinic:

• Ptosis correction (tightening of the upper lid muscles to correct drooping eyelid)
• Blepharoplasty (eyelid reshaping)
• Entropion repair (inward turning lower eyelid)
• Ectropion repair (outward turning lower eyelid) including cicatricial ectropion requiring skin graft
• Excision of cyst and skin lesion
• Watery eyes and socket problems
• Thyroid eye disease and orbital problems
• General ophthalmology assessments and treatments

Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
Mr Harry Roberts
MBChB MSc PGCertMEd MD FRCOphth CertLRS

Mr Roberts’ Specialisms
• Cataract surgery including toric intraocular lens implants for astigmatism and multifocal lens implants, complex cataract surgery
• Laser refractive surgery (LASIK, LASEK)
• Refractive lens exchange
• Corneal transplantation (DMEK, DSAEK, DALK, PK)
• Keratoconus
• Corneal Collagen Cross-linking
• Fuchs Endothelial Dystrophy
• Pterygium

Qualifications, Training and Experience:
Harry Roberts PGCertMEd MSc MD FRCOphth CertLRS is a consultant eye surgeon at The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. He specialises in complex cataract & premium lens replacement surgery, corneal transplantation and laser eye surgery.

Mr Roberts is actively engaged in research and was awarded a doctorate (MD) from King’s College London for conducting the first major randomised controlled trial on femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery at St Thomas’ Hospital, London. He has published more than 40 papers in high impact peer reviewed scientific journals including the American and British Journals of Ophthalmology and has authored an ophthalmology textbook. He has spoken at many international meetings, where his research has been recognised with more than 10 national or international prizes including from the European and UK & Ireland Societies for Cataract and Refractive Surgery. In particular, he was awarded the 2019 NIHR/RCOphth Researcher of the year.

Following completion of his ophthalmic specialist training on the Cambridge rotation, he undertook two further prestigious specialist fellowships at Southend University Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital. During this time, he performed corneal transplant surgery on some of the most complicated patients in the UK.

Positions held
Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital
Specialty Lead for Ophthalmology, University of Exeter Medical School
Royal College of Ophthalmologists Skills Faculty
Associations, awards and memberships:
Fellow of Royal College of Ophthalmologists (FRCOphth)
Member of European Society of Cataract and refractive surgeons (ESCRS)
Member of UK & Ireland Society for Cataract & Refractive Surgery (UKISCRS)
About Mr Roberts
Mr Roberts lives in Exeter with his wife, Victoria who is a GP and their three sons. He enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, whether on the beach, on the moors or in the garden having a barbecue.

A few words from Mr Roberts…

My comprehensive training and experience underpins the bespoke service I offer. As a specialist in cataract, refractive and corneal surgery, the techniques I have developed complement each other to give my patients the very best outcomes with the most suitable approach for their requirements. I know just how individual decisions relating to our eyesight are and I am regularly praised by my patients for supporting them every step of the way through their tailored treatment. Nothing gives me the same satisfaction as a patient delighted with their outcome.