AOP HOC election results announced

Hospital optometrists, Rosalind Creer and Katherine Smith, join the AOP’s Hospital Optometrists Committee, alongside Samuel Comely who is re-elected

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Optometrist examining a female patient's eyes

Getty/Nastasic

Emily McCormick

18 May 2026

The results of the AOP’s recent Hospital Optometrists Committee elections have been announced.

Joining the committee are Rosalind Creer and Katie Smith, from Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospital Bristol and Weston respectively. Re-elected is Samuel Comely, from Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The AOP’s HOC provides members working in a hospital setting the opportunity to influence best practice in hospital optometry.

Creer, Smith and Comely will each serve a new three-year term on the committee from September 2026, after formally being appointed at the Association’s AGM in June.

New to the committee, Creer told OT that she decided to stand because: “It’s always really interesting to see how hospital optometry can adapt to try and meet the challenges it faces. I wanted to be involved in this evolution from a national level and to be able to contribute to driving the changes and promoting the profession.”

On learning she had been elected, she said: “I’m looking forward to getting started and representing my fellow optometrists.”

“Having spent the majority of my career in hospital optometry, I hope to be able to bring some experience from my time in the NHS and help promote the profession,” she added.

Smith told OT that she was “over the moon to be elected, especially as it was voted by peers,” having stood because she is “passionate about hospital optometry and keen to help shape the profession”

She shared: “I think it is quite a challenging time to work in the NHS, but also there are so many opportunities for optometrists to help improve patient care and waiting lists.”

Commenting on the appointments, AOP chairman, Emma Spofforth, said: “We appreciate all of the candidates who stood in this year’s election. The expertise of the newly elected members will make a real contribution to the committee’s work as it continues to advance excellence in hospital eye care.”

Spofforth recognised the contributions of HOC vice chair, Martin Rubinstein, as he stood down from the committee.

“I also want to take this opportunity to share our gratitude to Martin Rubinstein, outgoing HOC vice chair, whose extraordinary professional expertise and contributions will be sorely missed by the committee,” she added.