Optician Awards 2018: Family Practice of the Year

Lynne Fernandes Optometrists has three practices across the Bristol area: in Wells Road, Gloucester Road and Nailsea. The practice in Wells Road has been a fixture in the area for more than 80 years and was taken over by its current owners, Lynne and Gerard Fernandes, in 2000. It has been a runner up in various categories at the Optician Awards many times, eventually taking home the prize this year.

Gerard Fernandes, optometrist and co-director of Lynne Fernandes Optometrists, was influenced by his own optician to get into optometry.

He says: ‘I was looking for a clinical career that offered me the chance to interact with people and positively impact their lives. Also, a career that would allow me to control my future, with respect to work, life, family and income. I had a great contact lens optician as a teenager and in my twenties but didn’t realise his profession. It was on meeting Lynne after university that she explained that optometrists were different. That sounded interesting, and then research suggested an interesting career. I then decided to study optometry as a mature student at Aston.’