Celebrating Our 100th Trainee Surgeon Milestone
We’re proud to share a major milestone for our Training and Education Programme for Surgeons (STEPS) — we recently welcomed our 100th trainee surgeon to the current rotation.
The celebration took place at our Cambridge hospital, where Pavel Sharma, the milestone trainee, is completing a six-month placement under the supervision of consultant ophthalmologist Mr John Somner.
Supporting the Future of Ophthalmology
We were honoured to welcome Professor Ben Burton, President of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, and Sarah Maling, outgoing Chair of the College’s Training Committee, who joined us on the day to recognise the scale and impact of our training work.
Since STEPS officially launched in August 2023, we’ve delivered over 250 training placements for NHS registrars — more than any other independent service provider in the UK. Our programme is active across 38 SpaMedica hospitals, including Cambridge, which opened in February 2025 and offers treatment for cataracts, posterior capsule opacification, and wet AMD.
What Our Partners Had to Say
“It is great to see the progress SpaMedica has made supporting ophthalmologists in training with cataract placements and its commitment to going further in the coming months. The College continues to work collaboratively with all independent sector providers, ophthalmologists in training and training programme directors to ensure more placements are available where they are needed – for both resident and SAS doctors.”
— Professor Ben Burton
“It’s fantastic that SpaMedica is continuing to prioritise surgical education at this level. The scale of its programme and the outcomes being achieved speak volumes. It was a pleasure to celebrate this milestone with the team and trainees.”
— Sarah Maling
Inside the Cambridge Celebration
The day included a tour of the hospital, informal networking with clinical leaders, and a presentation on the programme’s achievements and ambitions.
Trainee registrar Pavel Sharma shared his experiences:
“I think the training programme is helping us develop better surgical skills and the trainers I’ve worked with so far have all been really enthusiastic about teaching and happy to share tips and their knowledge.
Having more skilled surgeons can only be a good thing for the future, and the only way we’ll get there is by having access to good training opportunities like this — better training for us means better outcomes for patients in the future.”
He added:
“I’ve been really pleased by the variety, even on high-volume lists – things like dense cataracts, poorly dilating pupils needing pupil expansion, long eyes, high prescriptions, and even anxious patients. SpaMedica really does help prepare its trainees to treat a full range of patients.”
Looking Ahead
Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr Alex Silvester, shared his thanks and perspective on the programme:
“This milestone reflects the incredible work of our training supervisors, hospital teams, and education partners. We believe that investing in the future of our profession is central to delivering exceptional patient care – and we’re honoured to be playing our part in training the next generation of ophthalmic surgeons.”