About Chris Heaven

Mr. Chris Heaven is a Consultant Eye Surgeon  (Ophthalmologist) to Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust and based at The Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan, UK. He has also held a similar position at Palmerston North Hospital in New Zealand.

He was born at Nailsworth, near Stroud, in South Gloucestershire and spent his childhood and schooldays in that area.

Following school he initially trained as an optometrist obtaining a B.Sc. (Hons) in Ophthalmic Optics from Aston University. He is a qualified optometrist in the UK and also registered as such in Australia and New Zealand. His experience in eye care as an optometrist lead to an interest in the management of ocular disease. He therefore went on to train as an ophthalmologist (medically qualified eye specialist).

He qualified as a doctor at Birmingham Medical School where he won the Undergraduate Prize for Ophthalmology. Following junior training posts in the south of England his higher surgical training was undertaken at The Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester, UK. This included a secondment to The Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, South Australia, for specialist training in diseases of the ocular surface and cornea. 

He has a particular interest in small incision sutureless cataract surgery. These cases form the majority of his surgical practice.

His other ophthalmic interests include laser refractive surgery (LASIK, LASEK and PRK). In this capacity he is Consultant Ophthalmologist to Visualase Laser Eye Centre in Bolton, UK.

(Above - restored ex-BR guards van)

His interests outside medicine include railway history and preservation, and he has aesthetically restored a 20T ex BR guards van in his front garden (above).

•  B.Sc. (Hons) in Ophthalmic Optics.   Aston University - 1978.
•  Fellowship of the College of Optometrists - 1979.
•  MB ChB  Birmingham University Medical School - 1985.
•  Diploma in Ophthalmology - 1989.
•  Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh) - 1990.
•  Fellowship of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists - 1990

• Midland Counties Eye Infirmary, Wolverhampton. Senior House Officer - 1987.
• Kent County Ophthalmic & Aural Hospital, Maidstone. Senior House Officer - 1988.
• Royal Hants County Hospital, Winchester. Senior House Officer - 1989.
• Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth. Registrar - 1990 to 1993.
• The Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester. Senior Registrar - 1994 to 1996.
• Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide. Corneal Fellow - 1995 to 1996.

• Palmerston North Hospital, New Zealand - 1996 to 98.
• Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan - 1998 to present.