Voting opens for the Hospital Optometrists Committee 2026 elections

Voting is open for the Association of Optometrists’ (AOP) Hospital Optometrists Committee (HOC) elections, with members invited to select candidates for three available seats.

The HOC provides a platform for optometrists working within NHS hospital services, ensuring their views are represented, and helping to guide the future direction of the profession.

The Committee shapes policy, supports excellence in postgraduate hospital optometry, promotes best practice, and fosters strong working relationships between optometrists and wider healthcare teams.

Seven candidates are standing for election:

• Naila Abid, University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire
• Samuel Comely, Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Rosalind Creer, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
• Hussain Khambati, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Yetunde Obadeyi, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Martin Rubinstein, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
• Katherine Smith, University Hospital Bristol and Weston

To be eligible to stand for election, members must be:

• Current AOP members
• Optometrists working the majority of their professional time in a hospital setting with a Health Authority, Health Board, NHS Trust or an alternative NHS provider.

Adam Sampson, Chief Executive of the AOP, said: “The HOC plays a central role representing the views and priorities of our members working in hospital optometry – ensuring hospital optometrists are best placed to make a crucial contribution to the NHS. I strongly encourage all eligible members to take part in the election as the Committee continues to represent, support and advocate for the profession.”

Successful candidates will begin their three-year term in September 2026, serving until September 2029.

Voting is open from 10 April until 24 April, with results of the election set to be announced shortly after.

For more information about the HOC elections, visit Elections for the AOP’s Hospital Optometrists Committee.

Ends

For more information, please contact Anjola Sulaiman, PR and Media Executive, at the Association of Optometrists, [email protected] or telephone 020 7549 2062.

Notes to Editors

Association of Optometrists

The Association of Optometrists (AOP) is the voice of the optical profession, representing 80% of practising optometrists. The AOP elevates the work of its members, safeguards their interests, and champions eye health across the UK. For more information, visit www.aop.org.uk