HOC election results announced

The AOP’s Hospital Optometrists Committee (HOC) has confirmed the appointment of three members following its annual election process.

Elizabeth Hunt, from Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, joins the committee, while Deirdre Burns, from Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, and Alison Weston, from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, have been re-appointed for new three-year terms.

“I feel very lucky to have been elected – I was not expecting it at all,” shared Hunt on learning of her appointment.

Burns told OT she was delighted to be re-elected.“I welcome the opportunity to promote UK hospital optometry as well as represent my colleagues from Northern Ireland,” she added.

Weston echoed: “I was delighted to be re-elected for a further term and am very grateful to those hospital optometrists who voted for me.”

Newly appointed to the HOC, Hunt opted to stand for election after noticing that the committee did not include a Wales-based representative.

“I am passionate about ensuring hospital optometrists in Wales are equally represented. I also know this will help me to improve collaboration with our neighbours so that we can learn from each other to ensure optometrists in the hospital eye service remain well respected and highly valued professionals,” she shared.

During her three-year term, Hunt said she hopes to “bring my experiences of working in secondary care in both England and Wales to provide a well-rounded opinion on issues affecting the profession.”

Having already served a term on the HOC, Burns said she decided to stand again because, “as a committee member, I could see the importance of its work in engaging with current issues pertinent to the profession as well as promoting ongoing professional development and I wanted to continue to make a contribution to that.

Commenting on the election, AOP chairman of the Board and Council, Emma Spofforth, said: “We are delighted to welcome the new committee members, whose considerable knowledge and experience in hospital optometry will enrich the committee’s work.”

“We would like to thank all the candidates who took part in the election, and we commend their dedication to ensuring progress in the hospital optometry field,” she added.

Elected members will serve a three-year term and formally assume their positions at the AOP’s Annual General Meeting today (4 June).