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Dr Peter Davies is a passionate supporter of eye health around the world, and is committed to the advancement of research and training in eye disease and treatment locally and internationally. He is the founder and medical director of Newcastle Eye Hospital, and Hunter Eye Surgeons clinics.
He commenced Ophthalmology experience in 1998 at Royal North Shore Hospital. He completed his Masters of Public Health from Sydney University one year later, and completed his training with the Royal Australian New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists in 2003. He completed fellowships in Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Surgery, and Vitreo-retinal Surgery and Macula Diseases in Gloucestershire and at Sussex University Eye Hospital Brighton. He co-authored a textbook entitled "Strabisbus Surgical Techniques" which earned second place in the British Medical Association best textbooks awards in 2005.
In this text book Dr Davies acknowledges Jesus Christ as a mentor. He takes guidance from Jesus' teaching and Christian principles in everything.
He returned to Australia in 2005, and established Hunter Eye Surgeons, which has grown to be the largest clinical practice of Ophthalmologists in the Hunter Valley with 6 Ophthalmologists. Recognizing a need for a high-quality eye surgery facility, in 2009 he established Newcastle Eye Hospital. Combined with the advanced equipment, additional retinal surgical skills and training, and a team of retinal surgeons, Newcastle Eye Hospital is a hospital where patients can obtain emergency sight saving retinal surgery all year round, and is the only hospital exclusively dedicated to eye disease in the Hunter Valley.
In 2011 Dr Davies established Newcastle Eye Hospital Research Foundation, committed to facilitating medical research and training in Ophthalmology. The foundation has participated in several trials of new treatments, such as Laser cataract surgery, macular degeneration and new drugs for macular disease. Four major papers have been published by teams including Dr Davies in the prestigious "Ophthalmology" Journal - three papers on new cataract surgery techniques, and one paper in 2016 on macula disease treatment. Current research projects include new drugs for retinal detachment, new lenses for cataract surgery, and pterygium surgery techniques.
The Newcastle Eye Hospital Foundation also supports the India Eye Openers Project which provides eye sight in India to the poorest communities through cataract surgery. Annually we raise over $50 000 towards this work. There are also associated schools and community groups that benefit from our relationship with Eye Openers.
In December 2017 he was awarded the Keys to the City of Newcastle by the Lord Mayor in recognition of the work of the Newcastle Eye Hospital Foundation.
Dr Davies installed the first laser cataract surgery machine for the Hunter Valley in August 2012. With Professor Brendan Vote, the research team applied the scientific method to this technology, and published ground-breaking insights that have influenced cataract surgery practice around the world. Newcastle Eye Hospital became the first hospital in Australia to get rid of this technology in July 2013, when it became clear through research that the technology did not benefit the patient, and was not cost effective. Dr Davies believes that laser cataract surgery is an unnecessary additional laser procedure that lacks evidence for benefit.
He is an invited guest speaker to overseas conferences, such as the European Cataract and Refractive Society meeting in October 2017, where he spoke at a symposium on Laser cataract surgery. It was at this meeting that the results of the best quality clinical trial were presented, confirming Dr Davies' findings that laser cataract surgery was of no benefit to patients.
Dr Davies has public hospital appointments at Royal Newcastle, John Hunter, Kurri, and Muswellbrook hospitals. He is a Clinical lecturer at the University of Newcastle, and teaches medical students and supervises them in their research work.
Dr Davies is a keen aviator. In order to reach out to regional communities, he obtained his pilot's license. Not settling for the standard Private License, he went on to achieve his Instrument rating, night rating, sea-plane rating, and twin engine rating, giving him all the skills he requires to safely reach the patients, in all weather conditions, day and night. His philosophy in aviation is the same for his surgery. He gains all the skills necessary to give the patients the safest surgery, and clinical course of treatment.
Dr Davies supports numerous charities and philanthropic works around the world. Together his wife, he supports a school for war orphans in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo, where the 600 children regularly achieve the top academic prize for the city. He supports the Irene Gleeson Foundation, supporting 12 000 children in Uganda. He supports Eye Openers, providing eye surgeries for the poorest untouchable caste in India. He also supports educational colleges in Jos, Nigeria and Port Vila, Vanuatu, as well as Beyond Christian Academy in Lilongwe, Malawi. He supports the villages of Loniel and White Sands on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu. He supports YWAM ships, providing vital medical and social aid to Papua New Guinea. He supports the Compassion Charity supporting children overseas.