‘I was stunned when I heard my name read out,’ reflects Fernandes on the April awards night. ‘I felt the other nominees were so strong that I had very little chance of winning. Winning was very emotional as we all worked so hard as a team in this year.’
The new optometrist of the year acquired her practice, Lynne Fernandes Optometrists, in 2000 with her optometrist husband and co-director Gerard, purchasing the independent practice which she was locumming in Bristol. The couple have since purchased two more practices in Nailsea and north Bristol. Several staff members pay tribute to the clinical director’s impact on the services that have become available to local patients.
‘She has developed specialist care schemes for glaucoma, AMD, dry eye, blepharitis, dyslexia, myopia control, and specialist contact lenses,’ says Corrina McElduff, optometrist at the Gloucester road branch. ‘These clinics have allowed reinvestment in our clinical development, cutting edge equipment and patient education. I doubt you could find anyone more focused on optometry as a whole.’
In her role as chair of Avon LOC Fernandes has been able to mediate relationships between the hospital, the clinical commissioning group and practitioners.
‘In nine months meeting times have halved, two new enhanced schemes have been set up, one a national first, in a notoriously difficult region,’ says McElduff. ‘When Bristol Eye Hospital contacted her regarding quality of referrals into the medical retina department she created a CET evening for 90 optometrists, with all medical retina consultants present.
‘The resources guide Lynne has written has been made mandatory by NHS England for each optometric practice to maintain a copy. She loves every aspect of her job, from seeing the ‘routine patients’ to writing CET articles. She attends career fairs and talks to GPs. She just wants to raise the profile of optometry so greatly and you can see how much of a difference she makes in practice.’
‘The clinics she has introduced are not business-led decisions but because she genuinely believes it can help change people’s lives,’ adds the practice manager at the Nailsea branch, Mathew Wood.
According to Connor McCann, the optometrist at the Wells Road branch, it is not only patients, but the careers of her staff that benefit from the Fernandes approach to practice. ‘Lynne has managed to create a unique atmosphere,’ McCann says. ‘Employees are given clinical freedom and encouragement to develop and progress in areas that are of interest to them. This means the practitioners at the three branches are constantly striving and pushing themselves to stay on top of their specialities’
Fernandes dedicated the individual award to her team, stating: ‘It really was a team effort. I am very lucky to have such a knowledgeable team. They go the extra mile for every patient and come up with fresh ideas for keeping the practices modern and forward thinking. The team are delighted with the award and are telling everyone they meet all about it constantly.’
‘Patients are delighted,’ says Fernandes. ‘We created an information pack for patients to read in the waiting area about our awards entry and have the awards logo on everything from our emails, letter heads, windows, prescription cards, Facebook. We’ve had so many congratulations cards and a fair few bottles of champagne from optical companies.’
Last year also saw Fernandes take optical agenda behind the camera on nationally broadcast children’s TV channel CBeebies to raise awareness about the importance of regular eye tests for children. ‘The crew filmed me conducting a child’s first eye exam and fitting a first pair of glasses,’ recounts Fernandes. ‘The idea is that young children can watch the show and see that having an eye test is fun and parents are reminded to have their children’s eyes tested.’
Topping last year’s optician award winning achievements will be a challenge but Fernandes says she already has her eye set on developing referral schemes in her area. ‘I would love to see a Mecs/Pears enhanced service here in Bristol,’ says Fernandes, ‘That would mean more rapid access to eye care and save the NHS money.’
‘It was awesome to be recognised with the optometrist of the year accolade,’ adds Fernandes. ‘The Opticians Awards gives you the opportunity to meet like-minded optical leaders and exchange ideas. The optical profession is a very exciting place to be right now, there are so many opportunities and career paths available. Next year, we will continue to work hard to delight our patients and give our staff the perfect experience and training to continue to be experts in the field.’
Optometrist of the year 2016
Winner: Lynne Fernandes, Lynne Fernandes Optometrists
Shortlisted: Umarfarouq Jussab, The Eye Clinics; Elaine O’Donoghue, Urban Optics; Rama Venkatasubramanian, Specsavers, Burnham On Sea; Ravi Chawda, Specsavers, Nottingham