Trustees offer expert advice

James Russell and Dharmesh Patel have been appointed as trustees to the management board of the Eyecare Trust, augmenting its dispensing and clinical expertise.

Russell, who is in practice in Kent, began his optical career at Croydon's Mayday Hospital in 1973, joining Dollond & Aitchison and studying dispensing optics at City College, qualifying in 1977. He spent 37 years with D&A in Scotland, as a branch manager and CLO.

Russell became actively involved in optical politics, serving on joint optometric committees and was chairman of ABDO Area 12 Scotland from 1986 until 2007. He was ABDO president from November 2003 to September 2006, has been an associate of the Healthcare Commission and has also been appointed to serve on the GOC.