About your doctor
Dr James English
Dr James English
QUALIFICATIONS
FRANZCO, MBBS, MMed, MIT, BSc
Dr English is a Brisbane-based Ophthalmic Surgeon who has undergone further training in cataract surgery with an interest in medical treatment of diseases of the retina. His practice embraces evidence-based ophthalmic care delivered in a warm, welcoming and friendly manner.
Dr English was born and raised in Brisbane and completed his medical training at the University of Queensland Medical School before completing a Masters of Medicine (Ophthalmic Science) through University of Sydney. He completed general training at the Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital before gaining experience at Sydney Eye Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital (Sydney) before undergoing formal Ophthalmology training at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne.
To complete his training, Dr English undertook training in cataract surgery at the Alfred Hospital and obtained further experience in medical retina.
He is a third generation Ophthalmic Surgeon with both his father, uncle and grandfather also practising Ophthalmic Medicine.
Dr English sees all adult referrals, regardless of eye pathology and works predominantly at Brisbane North Eye Centre which has been designed for plentiful parking and an optimal patient experience and flow.
He is involved in training the next generation of eye surgeons and believes strongly in contributing to the public system alongside his private work. Dr English is passionate about evidence-based medicine, leveraging and distilling the scientific literature into easy to digest language for the patient in front of him.
Dr English's life outside of Ophthalmology is a close orbit around his young family and his wife who is a General Practitioner.
Q & A with Dr English
What made you decide to be an Ophthalmologist?
The eye is inexhaustibly fascinating. Ophthalmology is a very unique intersection of nobel prize winning science meeting with bold endeavours in technology alongside an opportunity to look after patients’ eye health in a longitudinal way. As a medical student, I was struck by the profoundly disabling nature of blindness and how its impact extends beyond the patient. I hoped one day I might be able to be involved in a specialty that could offer the very best of science and engineering and deliver care in a gentle, compassionate way.
What’s the best part about the work that you do?
That's easy - my patients! I love that I have the privilege of knowing patients longitudinally, allowing deeper understanding, connection and even friendship to take place.
I find the wisdom and sense of humour from my elderly patients, who often lead rich and varied lives, truly rewarding. Vision is a profoundly emotive sense and its loss is felt deeply. I am incredibly privileged to play my part in the restoration of sight and am equally privileged to walk alongside my patients whose vision is unrestorable.
An opportunity to sit with a patient and talk about their life story is by far my favourite part of my profession. Medicine offers such a unique privilege of access into a patient's life, often at one of their most vulnerable moments. My patients' stories are the best part of my work.
What’s the greatest challenge about your work?
I love that we live in an age where the depth of scientific literature can be brought to bear on the wellbeing of the patient sitting in front of me. The evidence base, comprising of clinical trials and scientific research, gives us robust information that has been ratified by peers that allows medical practitioners to direct a patient's care in a trusted way.
The majority of my practice tries to incorporate this backbone of understanding - from the drops you may receive before and after a laser therapy, to the type of surgery offered to address your visual complaint.
What brought you to Brisbane North East Eye Centre?
I wanted to join a group of people with a similar moral compass - ethical, excellent, collaborative and all with a great sense of humour and kinship. It is one of, if not the, largest Ophthalmology centres in Queensland and I am grateful to Dr Kevin Vandeleur AM for his offer to have me. My patients have ample parking and comfortable seating and this is especially important for those required to support my patients at their appointment. Our Optometrists who are the hub to our spokes are extraordinary professionals in their own right and are a large part of the excellent reputation BNEC has attained over it's long lifetime since 1984.
What brought you to Oxford Eye Centre?
Oxford is a fantastic emerging boutique Ophthalmic experience in Bulimba’s central district and I wanted to offer south side patients an opportunity to continue care close to home. I’m very grateful to Dr Bill Glasson AO, a giant of Ophthalmology both in Australia and abroad, for the opportunity to work alongside him.
All in the family
Dr Peter Bede English MBE (Dr English’s grandfather) with the recipient of one of the Australia’s earliest corneal transplants outside the Mater Hospital, Brisbane (1945).
Celebrating Nearly 90 Years of Restoring Sight to Queenslanders, Dr English is a third-generation Ophthalmic Surgeon and the fourth in his family to train in Ophthalmology.
Dr English is privileged to be involved in the care of patients and whole families who have been under the care of family members over the generations and welcomes the opportunity to care for these patients.