Spire Cardiff

I am a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at the University Hospital of Wales with a specialist interest in cornea and anterior segment. I graduated from Edinburgh University in 2007 before completing my specialist ophthalmic training in Wales.

I have also undertaken a fellowship in one of the leading UK corneal transplant centres; the Southampton University Hospital. I have performed thousands of cataract surgeries and anterior segment procedures to date.

My special surgical interests include partial thickness corneal transplants and vision enhancing cataract surgery. My expertise beyond general ophthalmology includes cataract surgery in patients with corneal disease or previous refractive surgery, vision enhancing lens surgery, corneal transplants, pterygium removal and medical management of ocular surface diseases.

Prior to my appointment at the University Hospital of Wales I worked as an ophthalmic consultant and clinical lead in Gibraltar, where I performed the very first corneal transplant and introduced anterior segment services to the “Rock”. Currently, I am the Clinical Director for the Ophthalmology Department at the University Hospital of Wales and a Director for Vale Eye Surgeons. Throughout my career I have received several prestigious awards for my research projects and obtained a master’s degree in cataract and refractive surgery from Ulster University. Recently I have formed links with Cardiff University Optometry School and maintained a professional connection with Gibraltar.

I am a Consultant Ophthalmologist at the University Hospital of Wales with a special interest in oculoplastic surgery and cataract surgery. I completed comprehensive training over seven years across Wales and subspecialty training in Oculoplastics and Glaucoma in New Zealand for three years before returning to Cardiff in 2020.

I perform small incision cataract surgery and I specialise in patients with a wide array of oculoplastic conditions. This includes eyelid malposition, watery eyes and diseases of the eye socket.

I have performed thousands of cataract surgeries over the last 12 years and have audited data of complications well below the national average. I have been performing oculoplastic surgery for over six years.

I am the Ophthalmic lead at Cardiff and Vale UHB’s Skin Cancer MDT. I am the Deputy Clinical Director for University Hospital of Wales’ Ophthalmology Department.

I am a Director for Vale Eye Surgeons. I am a clinical and educational supervisor for junior doctors.

I am an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Cardiff University School of Optometry and Vision Sciences.

Mr Derek Ho is a dual board-certified consultant ophthalmologist with over a decade of clinical experience. Following his ophthalmology training in Wales, Mr Ho completed two years of advanced fellowships in cornea and anterior segment surgery at Bristol Eye Hospital and Cheltenham General Hospital. He subsequently returned to South Wales to take up a position as an NHS Consultant.

Mr Ho currently holds the position of Consultant Lead for Cataract Services at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, he is an accomplished educator and mentor, training the next generation of eye surgeons in his role as a Surgical Skills Faculty Trainer at the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.

With expertise spanning both routine and complex procedures, Mr Ho performs and supervises approximately 100 cataract surgeries each month. For private patients seeking cataract and refractive lens exchange surgery, he offers same-day bilateral cataract procedures utilising needle-free topical anaesthesia. This approach delivers a comfortable patient experience, rapid visual recovery, and minimal post-operative discomfort.