Health Education Improvement Wales appoints its first Leadership Training Fellows

Health Education Improvement Wales (HEIW) has appointed optometrists Tim Morgan and Sarah Schumm as its first ever Welsh Clinical Leadership Training Fellows (WCLTF).

Mr Morgan and Ms Schumm have now started their fellowships, which allow them to take a year out of employment to participate in a wide and varied programme of leadership training activities. They will also have the opportunity to shadow leaders from across health, education and training in Wales.

Ms Schumm has been a community optometrist for 16 years, and is based in Cwmbran. As part of her fellowship, she is leading on a project on workforce planning.

Ms Schumm said: “I am incredibly excited at the prospect of making a positive impact on the eye care pathway between secondary, primary and therapeutic eye care, to help join us up as a complete package that helps and supports one another, for the benefit of both the profession and the patient.”

Her project is co-sponsored by the South West Wales Regional Optical Committee (SWWROC).

Michael Charlton, Chair of the SWWROC said: “The ROC is delighted to be able to support this project and we hope that the outcomes will benefit not just the profession in South West Wales but across Wales and even wider.”

 Meanwhile, North East Wales-based independent practice owner and former vice chair of Optometry Wales, Tim Morgan, is working closely with the Welsh Government on an eye care reform project.

He said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to be entrusted with this opportunity to explore aspects of Primary Eye Care design.

“It's so heartening for the profession and for our patients that HEIW and Welsh Government see the value in this role and have high expectations for quality improvement."

This is the first time optometrists have been appointed as Welsh Clinical Leadership Training Fellows, and Mr Morgan and Ms Schumm are the first Fellows in the UK. The roles have been part funded by SWWROC and Welsh Government.