Professional Profile

Frank Ahfat qualified in medicine from Leeds University, with honours and Gold medal in 1989.  After post-graduate ophthalmology training in Leeds, Southampton, Liverpool and Moorfields (London), he was appointed consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in 2000.  He specialises in cataract surgery (incl. multifocal and toric lenses) and in retinal diseases, for which he provides a Kent-wide tertiary referral service.  He is a consultant appraiser, Educational Supervisor and Local Faculty Group member (Health Education Kent Surrey & Sussex) and consultant Risk Lead and Serious Incident Investigator at Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.  Nationally, he has been Principal Investigator in several national research trials and is a reviewer for a number of scientific journals.  He serves as panel member for the NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Co-ordinating Centre (NETSCC).  He is member of NICE Impact & Adoption panel, panel member of the examinations committee of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCO) and of the RCO Surgical Skills Faculty.