Authority Magazine: Mr Mfazo Hove on Building a Successful Private Practice
- Posted
- Medically Reviewed by: Mr Mfazo Hove, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon
- Author: Chris Dunnington
- Published: March 18, 2026
- Last Updated: March 18, 2026
Mfazo Hove of Blue Fin Vision® on 5 Things You Need to Know to Create a Highly Successful Private Practice
TL;DR: Blue Fin Vision® founder Mr Mfazo Hove shares the five operating principles behind a consultant-led ophthalmic practice built on more than 50,000 procedures: choose business over practice, position clearly, invest in outcomes, build systems, and think long term.
This interview was originally published in Authority Magazine. Republished with permission.
Decide if you want a practice or a business — A traditional practice relies on referrals. A business builds demand. Relying solely on external referrals limits growth. When you build a business, you create your own patient acquisition channels, education, digital authority, and brand positioning. You become the captain of your own destiny.
As part of the interview series with prominent medical professionals called “5 Things You Need to Know to Create a Highly Successful Private Practice”, Authority Magazine interviewed Mfazo Hove.
With over 50,000 intra-ocular and vision correction procedures, Mfazo Hove is one of the UK’s most experienced ophthalmic surgeons. Known for his surgical precision and evidence-based approach, he attracts patients from across the UK and internationally.
He founded Blue Fin Vision® to deliver consultant-led care of the highest standard, with a flagship clinic on Harley Street and additional centres in Chelmsford, Hatfield, and Chase Lodge. The practice is known for combining surgical expertise with an exceptional patient experience, including personalised consultations, en-suite recovery, fine dining, and thoughtful celebratory touches.
Before We Dive In, Can You Tell Us a Bit About Your Backstory and How You Ended Up Where You Are?
I was born and raised in Zimbabwe and moved to the United Kingdom at 19 to attend medical school. Medicine was never an abstract concept in my household; both of my parents are doctors, and I grew up watching them build and run their own practice. From an early age, I understood that clinical excellence and strong business structure are inseparable.
I was also taught that hard work beats talent when talent isn’t working hard, a philosophy that has shaped everything I’ve done. At school, I completed five A-levels in Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, not because it was required, but because discipline and intellectual stretching were encouraged. That mindset carried me through medical training and into ophthalmology.
Ophthalmology appealed to me because it sits at the intersection of precision, technology, measurable outcomes, and immediate life-changing impact. There are few specialties where you can restore someone’s sight in minutes. That tangible transformation never loses its meaning.
Who Has Been Your Biggest Mentor? What Was the Most Valuable Lesson You Learned From Them?
Stephen Kaye had a profound influence on my journey. He is originally from South Africa and is a consultant ophthalmologist in Liverpool, where I went to medical school. Sharing a Southern African background, he inspired me to pursue ophthalmology.
I had originally applied to do my medical elective in Chicago but was rejected due to applying under the wrong visa category. Instead of spending five weeks in America, I suddenly had to arrange something locally in Liverpool. Disappointed, I went to Stephen’s clinic, and five weeks later, I knew I was going to become an ophthalmologist.
One moment stands out vividly: he lent me his father’s copy of Kanski’s Clinical Ophthalmology. At the time, I simply appreciated access to learning. Looking back, I realise how much trust that represented. That book meant a great deal to him. When someone hands you something that mattered deeply to them, they are also handing you belief.
The most valuable lesson I learned: mentorship is less about instruction and more about belief. When someone ahead of you signals that you are capable, it expands what you believe is possible.
What Made You Want to Start Your Own Practice?
I always knew I wanted to build something of my own. Growing up in Zimbabwe, watching my parents run their own medical practice, I understood that medicine and business coexist, one sustains the other.
Blue Fin Vision® represents a long-term vision: independence, transparency, technological investment, and the freedom to build a patient-centred system without compromise. The early days were challenging: good infrastructure is expensive, systems require intentional design, and authority takes time to build. But entrepreneurship in healthcare allows you to create a structure aligned with your values, and that was always the goal.
Can You Share the Most Interesting Story That Happened to You Since You Began Your Career?
One of the most powerful aspects of ophthalmology is how quickly transformation can occur. I have operated on patients who had lost independence, confidence, and sometimes employment due to poor vision, and within a short procedure, watched them regain clarity and autonomy.
Seeing someone realise they can see clearly again after years of decline is extraordinary. Those moments reinforce both the privilege and the responsibility of this profession.
How Do You Address the Business Aspect of Running a Medical Practice?
Medicine and monetisation are often framed as opposites. I see them as interdependent.
I learned a lot from observing institutions such as Moorfields Eye Hospital. They understand that excellence requires sustainability. For example:
- In vitreoretinal surgery, patients commonly develop cataracts as a consequence of the procedure. While it is technically possible to combine cataract surgery with vitreoretinal surgery, NHS funding only reimburses the higher-cost procedure. The second operation would effectively be unpaid. Moorfields stages these procedures to ensure each is funded correctly.
- For YAG laser capsulotomy procedures, electronic systems prevent the laser from being activated until all documentation is completed, ensuring 100% of procedures are correctly recorded and billed.
These are not examples of commercialisation, they are examples of financial discipline. Sustainability enables impact.
Because our business is structured correctly, we can:
- Offer up to 40% discounts to NHS staff in recognition of their service
- Support charitable initiatives and community causes
- Sponsor grassroots youth sports teams, including my son’s football team
- Invest in advanced diagnostic and surgical technology
- Employ and retain talented staff in a positive working environment
Success in healthcare should expand generosity, not restrict it. Profitability, when ethical and disciplined, strengthens patient care, it does not undermine it.
How Do You Manage Both Provider and Business Owner Roles?
It requires deliberate structure. Every decision is evaluated through two lenses:
- Quality of patient care
- Financial sustainability
They must align. I deliberately allocate roughly 50% of my time to clinical work and 50% to business: systems, governance, marketing, infrastructure, and growth. A poor surgical outcome cannot be compensated by excellent hospitality, and poor service can undermine great surgical results. Both matter and both must be intentional.
Can You Share a Story About One of Your Greatest Struggles?
At one stage, a hospital significantly increased surgical fees, making the model unsustainable. When I searched for alternatives, established centres were “full.” Rather than accept limitations, I purchased equipment and partnered with a hospital that did not previously offer ophthalmology services. We built something new. Obstacles often force creative thinking, what initially appeared as a setback became an expansion point.
What Are the 5 Things You Need to Know to Create a Thriving Practice?
- Decide if you want a practice or a business.A traditional practice relies on referrals. A business builds demand. Relying solely on external referrals limits growth. When you build a business, you create your own patient acquisition channels, education, digital authority, and brand positioning. You become the captain of your own destiny.
- Know your positioning.There is no middle ground: you are either premium or budget. Clarity simplifies pricing, infrastructure, staffing, and communication. Ambiguity erodes trust.
- Invest in outcomes relentlessly.Clinical results are the foundation. Technology, audit data, precision systems, and training are not luxuries, they are essentials. No amount of aesthetic excellence can compensate for poor surgical outcomes.
- Build systems, not heroics.Businesses fail when they rely on memory rather than structure. Billing systems, surgical audits, compliance frameworks, marketing engines, these must be intentionally built. Thriving organisations are repeatable, not improvised.
- Think long term.Reputation compounds. Short-term revenue thinking can damage trust. Long-term investment in authority, transparency, and technology creates sustainability. Businesses are built over decades.
What Practices Would You Recommend to Other Healthcare Leaders to Improve Their Wellness?
- Audit your outcomes, as data replaces anxiety with clarity
- Maintain physical discipline
- Protect time outside medicine
- Surround yourself with intellectually honest peers
- Build systems so fewer decisions rely purely on willpower
Burnout often stems from chaos. Structure restores control.
Favourite Life Lesson Quote
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” Moving countries at 19, navigating competitive medical training, and building a surgical business were not products of luck, it was discipline.
Follow Mr Mfazo Hove
- Blue Fin Vision®
- LinkedIn for professional updates
- YouTube for educational patient content
- Doctify reviews
We focus on transparency, measurable outcomes, and technology-led care.
Considering Private Eye Surgery?
Blue Fin Vision® offers consultant-led cataract surgery, laser eye surgery, and lens replacement with published outcomes across London, Hertfordshire, and Essex. Book a consultation to discuss your options with the team.
