Eleven new members appointed to our Council’s Committees

We have appointed 11 new members across our Council’s Standards, Education, Companies, and Registration Committees.

Committees play a key role in enhancing our work and informing the decisions made by Council.

The purpose of each Committee is:

• Standards – to advise the Council on the standards of conduct and performance expected of current and potential registrants
• Education – to advise the Council and other Committees on optical training and education
• Companies – to advise the Council and other Committees on matters relating to business registrants
• Registration – to advise the Council on registration issues, including the rules governing registration and publication of the registers.

The appointments commenced on 1 August 2022 and will initially be for a maximum of four years.

We would like to congratulate all of the new members and look forward to them sharing their skills and expertise on our Committees.

The new members are:

Standards Committee 

Nilla Varsani (Lay member)

Nilla Varsani has worked at the General Medical Council since 2001, gaining substantial experience in regulatory proceedings as well as developing and implementing standards, policies and programmes of work relating to professional practice and the medical education and training of doctors. She is also a lay member of the Investigation Committee at the General Chiropractic Council and a presiding magistrate in the Adult Crime (West London) and Family Court (Central London).

Kay Bagshaw (Dispensing Optician member)

Kay Bagshaw has worked in independent and multiple optical practices as dispensing optician, manager, and locum dispensing optician. She is currently an optical skills tutor for Woodspeen Training and has devised and delivered their optical assistant apprenticeships. She is also an Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) Practical examiner, ABDO practice visitor for year 3 ophthalmic dispensing students, and a distance learning tutor for ABDO college.

Dr Haseena Lockhat (Lay member)

Dr Haseena Lockhat is an experienced Consultant Clinical Psychologist, currently working at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust as a Senior Clinician within Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Elsewhere, she is a Registration Assessor at the Health and Care Professions Council, and previously was a Fitness to Practice and Appeals Panel Member there. She has also been Specialist Advisor to the Care Quality Commission.

Chloe Robson (Registered Medical Practitioner member)

Chloe Robson is an ophthalmology trainee within Kent Surrey Sussex Deanery. After training as an optometrist, she worked in various hospital roles including research, and practiced as an optometrist in both high street and independent practices. She was also a team member with Vision Aid Overseas before returning to study medicine.

Education Committee

Dean Dunning (Dispensing Optician member)

Dean Dunning is Programme Leader for the Foundation Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing, and Programme Leader for the Contact Lens Certificate, at Bradford College. He is the Chief Examiner for the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) in Contact Lens Practice, a practical and theory examiner for ABDO, vice-chair of the British Universities Committee of Contact Lens Educators, a fellow of the British Contact Lens Association and a fellow of the International Association of Contact Lens Educators. For over 25 years, Dean has also worked as both a dispensing optician and contact lens optician.

Jacqui Adams (Lay member)

Jacqui is a Registered Occupational Therapist. Since 2002, she has been the Director and co-owner of a consultancy business which specialises in health and social care and focusses on strategy, commissioning, service and workforce transformation, operational turnaround and strategic health planning. In addition to her consulting practice, she is a Panel member of the Health and Care Professions Council and the Bar Standards Board. Jacqui is passionate about workforce development in health and social care and is a member of a group reviewing standards and the assessment process for social care apprenticeships.

Dr. Sally Gosling (Lay member)

Dr. Sally Gosling currently leads Health Education England’s approach to advanced practice credentials, focused on optimising workforce capability and capacity to meet population, patient care and service delivery needs. She also undertakes advisory, inspector and review roles for professional regulators (within and beyond health) and is a lay council member for the Institute of Osteopathy. Dr. Gosling previously worked for professional bodies in healthcare on pre- and post-registration education and continuing professional development.

Companies Committee

Sarah Joyce (Business Representative)

Sarah Joyce is the Superintendent Optometrist for ASDA Opticians, a role she has held for four years, where she is responsible for their Professional Services, Compliance & Governance. She is also a Non-Executive Director for both FODO - The Association for Eye Care Providers and the Local Optical Committee Support Unit (LOCSU), and sits on the College of Optometrists’ Disciplinary Panel and the Directorate of Optometric Continuing Education and Training (DOCET) Executive Committee.

Imran Hakim (Business Representative)

Imran Hakim is the CEO and founder of Hakim Group, a group of over 200 independent optical practices across the UK. He has won multiple awards and during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic spearheaded the #StrongerTogether initiative, a series of webinars to help optical practice owners navigate the challenges of lockdown.

Daniel McGhee (Business Representative)

Dan McGhee is the Director, Professional Services at Vision Express. He is also clinical lead on the GrandVision Eye Care Council and currently studying for an MBA at Edinburgh Business School.

Registration Committee

Geraldine Birks (Lay member)

Geraldine Birks is a qualified and registered dental professional, a member of the Royal Society of Public Health, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Faculty of Dental Trainers. Geraldine has a background in dental regulation and education working for the General Dental Council as a Fitness to Practise Clinical Case Examiner and Investigating Committee Chair, Registration Assessor of EEA and Non-EEA applications, and Inspector of UK dental schools.