Debbie Hopkins FBDO, CL
Specialist Contact Lens Optician
G.O.C. No: D-6321
27 Snowdon Close, Franche, Kidderminster, Worcestershire DY11 5JH
Home: 01562-632791 Mobile: 07970 750 083
email: debbiehop66@gmail.com

SUMMARY
Highly personable Specialist Contact Lens Optician dedicated to caring for patient needs and providing professional and cognisant, corrective treatment.
Capable of managing various diagnosed corneal complications in conjunction with Corneal Consultant / team.
Instigated in house effective and efficient contact lens systems/ services for 2 Hospital CL departments: Royal Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary department at New Cross Hospital and
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham - delivering exceptional care to large patient bases.

Profesional Services Consultant; Presenting/teaching new contact lens technology to Optometrists and Contact Lens Opticians,and giving supporting advice with challenging cases. As Ultravision is a medium sized company, I have identified service issues and offered solutions.

SKILLS
• Presentation skills
• Tutoring newly qualified / new to hospital Optometrists in complex CL fitting Principles
• Dry eye treatment competency
• Fitting complex lenses for various conditions ; keratoconus, ectasia, post-graft etc.including Rigid Gas Permeables, Scleral lenses
• Experienced in fitting soft lenses for; aphakia, high astigmatism, high Rx, prosthetic, therapeutics
• Pentacam Topography scanning / interpretation
• Management of mild anterior segment eye infections/ disease




JOB SPECIFICS/ DUTIES
• Presenting products and theory behind design to University students, Optometrists, Opticians & Ophthalmologists face to face and virtually on Teams / Zoom platforms.
• Monitoring sales and identifying opportunities to promote / train in specific products

• Use keratometer and Pentacam Topographer and interpret findings to monitor progression in keratoconic patients and determine appropriate fit of contact lenses.
• Use a slit lamp bio-microscope and pharmaceutical agents to examine patients' cornea, anterior segment and adnexa to assess suitability for contact lenses, ongoing care and diagnosing eye infections, disease and complications.
• Educate patients about proper contact lens care and safety.
• Teach fellow Optometrists the art & science of fitting contact lenses.
• Collaborate with Corneal Consultant to ensure safe and effective management of shared patients.
• Responsible for ordering and maintaining a comprehensive bank of specialist and therapeutic contact lenses to cover a wide range of corneal diseases / abnormalities.
• Ensure appropriate disinfection and audit trail of contact lenses and associated instruments and equipment.
• Modify designs of contact lenses to accommodate complex corneal characteristics.
WORK HISTORY
Professional Services Consultant 09/03/2020 – Current
Ultravision CLPL-Commerce Way, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. LU7 4RW

Contact Lens Optician 01/09/2019 – March 2020
Locum various practices (mainly Specsavers)

Contact Lens Optician 1/06/2018 – 30/08/2019
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham - Mindelsohn Way, Edgbaston, B15 2GW

Professional Services Consultant (Part time) January 2018 – 31/12/2019
Synergeyes UK (Hybrid contact Lenses) part of Positive Impact.
27 Stirling Road, Castleham Business Centre East, St. Leonards on Sea, East Sussex.TN38 9NP

Contact Lens Optician 22/01/2018 – 19/05/2018
Asda Opticians - Asda Superstore. Brickhouse Lane South, Tipton. DY4 7HW
Contact Lens Clinic Supervisor/Demonstrator (3rd & 2nd Year students) 26/09/2017 – March 2018
Vision Sciences Department - Aston University. Aston Triangle, Birmingham. B4 7ET
Specialist Contact Lens Optician April 2007 – 25/09/2017
Royal Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary - New Cross Hospital, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton WV10 0QP
Locum Dispensing Optician / Contact Lens Optician 2010 - June 2015
Portland Eyecare Ltd - Institute Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham

Contact Lens Optician
Rayner Opticians - Leamington, Knowle, Warwick, Kenilworth 2005 - 2007
Pre-Reg Contact Lens Optician
Birmingham & Midland Eye Centre - Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham 1999 – 2001
Locum Dispensing Optician / Contact Lens Optician 1996 onwards
Various optical practices (Occassionally Aston University Dispensary)

Dispensing Optician / Manager
Clifford Brown Opticians – Birmingham 1995 - 1996

Dispensing Optician / Manager
Scrivens Opticians - Midlands & Country-wide 1989 – 1995
DISPENSING DUTIES
• Recommended lenses, lens coatings and frames suitable for patients' prescription whilst meeting their needs and style requirements.
• Conducted preliminary screening examinations including non-contact tonometry, visual fields and Ishihara colour vision tests.
• Used a slit lamp bio-microscope to examine patients' cornea, lens and anterior segment and adnexa.
• Accurately measured pupillary distance, optical centres , vertex distance, temple length, pupillary distance, pantoscopic and dihedral angles of frames to ensure correct alignment of bespoke varifocals.
• Used focimeter to measure and record back vertex power.
• Educated patients about proper contact lens handling, care, and safety.
• Fitted and adjusted eyeglasses and carried out minor spectacle repairs.


Glazer / Receptionist / Trainee Dispensing Optician
John Chapman Opticians Ltd – Halesowen 1988 – 1989

Personal Assistant / Book-keeper / Relief Receptionist 1986 – 1988 Peter Bainbridge Opticians – Bearwood

EDUCATION

BHVI Managing Myopia: Course 1. March 2022
PTTLs (Adult Teaching Licence)
University of Wolverhampton July 2008

BCLA Prize for Aftercare / Case-notes February 2001

Diploma in Contact Lens Fitting
British Contact Lens Association
Anglia Polytechnic University. Cambridge February 2001

Diploma in Ophthalmic Dispensing
A.B.D.O. College. City & East London College December 1991


CERTIFICATIONS
Certified to perform Refraction and Logmar Visual Acuity Testing to protocol for research studies eg. Como, Oraya, Mizar, Mivi-5, Repair, Retain.
Certified to perform Belfast Reading Speed Test, Bailey Lovie Near Vision Tests, PelliRobson Contrast Sensitivity to protocol for Ivan study.
Some knowledge of Low Vision Assessment and Low Vision Aids.























REFEREES

Ultravision – Ex Clinical Director
Lynn White
Email: Lynn@lwvision.co.uk
Mobile: 07884 015 910

Queen Elizabeth hospital – Group Manager Division C: Simon Fertig
Email: Simon.Fertig@uhb.nhs.uk
Clinic Co-ordinator & Colleague: Ryan Goodman
Email: Ryan.goodman@nhs.net


Synergeyes UK – Director of Marketing and Professional services:Nick Atkins
Email: nick@positiveimpact.co.uk
Tel: 08446 696907 Mobile: 07719 602303


Asda Opticians - Manager. Shaun Ferris. email: Shaun_ferris@sky.com
mobile : 07568 598997

Aston University - Head of Department. Prof James Wolffsohn. email: jwolffsohn@aston.ac.uk

Royal Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary. New Cross Hospital - Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon Specialist in Corneal transplant, Cataract Surgery and Lazer Vision Correction. (Group Medical Director Elect – Optimax)
Balasubramaniam Ilango MBBS DO FRCS FRCOphth Cert LRS
Royal Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary.
New Cross Hospital, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton WV10 0QP
email: bilango@hotmail.com / Balasubramaniam.ilango@nhs.net
mobile: 07762 051879

Portland EyeCare - Ex Director & Optometrist. Julie Ellis.
email: julieellis@blueyonder.co.uk mobile: 07961 073326

Posted by Andrew D Price on behalf of Debbie Hopkins