Who's involved - UK Vision Strategy

Summary: The UK Vision Strategy brings together, for the first time, users of eyecare services and professionals from government, health and voluntary sectors to produce a unified plan for action on all issues relating to vision across the UK.

The following people played a direct role in the development of the UK Vision Strategy.

Strategic Advisory Group (SAG)

  • Lesley-Anne Alexander, Chief Executive - RNIB (Chair)
  • Nick Astbury, Consultant Ophthalmologist, representing the Royal College of Ophthalmologists
  • Rosie Auld, Chair - British and Irish Orthoptic Society
  • Mike Brace, Chief Executive - VISION 2020 UK
  • Anne Bristow, Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services - London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
  • Bob Hughes, Chief Executive - Association of Optometrists, representing the Eye Health Alliance
  • Yvonne Needham, Head of the Ophthalmic Forum - Royal College of Nursing
  • Dr Andrew Partner, General Practitioner - Royal College of General Practitioners
  • Stephen Remington, Chief Executive - Action for Blind People
  • Malcolm Swinburn, Immediate Past Chair - National Association of Local Societies for Visually Impaired People (NALSVI)
  • Bridget Warr, Chief Executive - Guide Dogs
  • Jo Webber, Deputy Policy Director - NHS Confederation

Government Representatives

  • David Lye, Head of Dentistry and Eye Care Services - Department of Health
  • Charlie Bamford, Social Services Officer - Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Northern Ireland
  • Gerry Lynch - Welsh Assembly
  • Steve Whittaker, Optometric Adviser - Scottish Executive

Project Support Team

  • Stephen King, Group Director Prevention & International Affairs - RNIB
  • Anita Lightstone, Programme Director - UK Vision Strategy
  • Janelle Heath, Communications Manager - UK Vision Strategy
  • Celia Watson, EPIC Project Manager - UK Vision Strategy
  • Lisa Hughes, Programme Co-ordinator  - UK Vision Strategy

England Implementation Group

  • Chair: David Scott-Ralph, CEO - SeeAbility, Vice-chair - VISION 2020 UK
  • Dual Sensory: Sue Brown, SENSE
  • Education: Olga Miller, Institute of Education
  • Employment: Nick Bason, Employers' Forum on Disability
  • Eye Health Alliance:
    • Dimple Shah, Association Of Optometrists
    • Paul Carroll, Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians (FODO)
    • Optics : Nicholas Black, Association of Dispensing Opticians
  • Ex officio: Nick Astbury, VISION 2020 UK
  • GPs: Dr Waqaar Shah, Royal College of GPs
  • PCTs: Vivienne Cencora, Tower Hamlets PCT
  • Ophthalmology: Wendy Franks, Consultant Ophthalmologist
  • Ophthalmic Nurses: Janet Marsden, RCN Ophthalmic Group
  • Orthoptics: Rosie Auld - BIOS
  • Older People: Amy Burchell, Help the Aged
  • Observer: David Lye, Department Of Health
  • Social Care: Kate Skilton - Devon County Council
  • Transport: Stephen Golden, Transport for London
  • User (health): Andrew Kitchen, RCP (lay member)
  • User (sight loss): Norma Town, National Federation of the Blind
  • Voluntary sector:
    • Carl Freeman, Guide Dogs
    • Carolyn Fullard, National Blind Childrens Society
    • Elizabeth Percy, Action for the Blind People
    • David Allen, RNIB
    • Sue Taylor, Gateshead Sight Services (NALSVI)

Scottish Vision Strategy Advisory Group

  • Chair: Jimmy Cook, RNIB Scotland
  • UK Vision Strategy: Anita Lightstone, RNIB 
  • Optometry Scotland: Gillian Syme
  • Scottish Government:
    • David Seaman, Support for Learning
  • ADSW Representative:
    • Maria Dick, Forth Valley Sensory Centre
    • Wendy Jack, West Dunbartonshire Council  
  • Voluntary Sector:
    • John Legg, RNIB Scotland
    • Bryn Merchant, RNIB Scotland
    • James Adams, Policy, Parliamentary Communication, RNIB Scotland
    • Graham Findlay - Grampian Society for the Blind
    • Jane Horsburgh, Guide Dogs
    • Richard Hellewell, Royal Blind
    • Mary Dallas, Education and Family Services, RNIB Scotland
    • Frances Miller, UK Visual Impairment and Learning Disability, RNIB Scotland
  • Scottish Vision Strategy Champion:
    • Kay Eastwood
    • Ken Reid
  • SNFWB Representative:
    • John Gurd, Visual Impairment Team
    • Fiona Sandford, Visibility
    • Dennis Robertson, Grampian Society for the Blind

Northern Ireland Vision Strategy Implementation Group

  • Culture, Art and Leisure:
    • Richard Lutton, DCAL
  • DHSSPS:
    • Charlie Bamford, DHSSPS
    • Gerard Collins, DHSSPS
    • Andrew Elliott, DHSSPS
    • David Galloway, DHSSPS
    • Michael Sweeney, DHSSPS
    • Ernie Swain, GDOS, DHSSPS
  • Education:
    • Debbie Gladwell, DENI
  • Employment and Learning:
    • Mervyn Langtry, Department for Employment and Learning
    • Terry Park, Department for Employment and Learning
  • Health and Social Care:
    • Anne Hillis, Health and Social Care Board
    • Dr Colin Hamilton, Health and Social Care Board
    • Fionnuala McAndrew, Health & Social Care Board
  • NHSCT:
    • Oscar Donnelly, NHSCT
  • Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister:
    • Michael Pollock, Central Anti-Poverty Unit, OFMDFM
  • Ophthalmology:
    • Richard Best, BHSCT
    • Brian Page, BHSCT
  • Optometry:
    • Alan Rundle, Optometry NI
  • Public Health:
    • Dr Carolyn Harper, Public Health Agency
  • Transport:
    • Tony McConnell, DRD Disability Transport Programme
  • Service User:
    • David Bowen, Service User
  • Voluntary Sector:
    • Charlie Mack (Chair), RNIB
    • Chris Wilson, RNIB
    • Barry Macaulay, RNIB
    • Wendy Rankin, Guide Dogs

Wales Advisory Group

  • Sarah Rochira, RNIB Cymru (Acting chair)
  • Nick Astbury, Vision 2020 Chair
  • Chris Blyth, Royal College of Ophthalmologists, Chair of Welsh Retinal Group
  • Martyn Bracewell, Senior Lecturer in Neurology and Neuroscience, Bangor University, BCU Health Board and the Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery
  • John Carter, Long Term Conditions and Older Person Lead, Welsh Assembly Government
  • Nicola Crews, Education Services Manager, RNIB Cymru
  • Anita Davies, Visionary (formally NALSVI)
  • Andrea Gordon, Policy Manager, The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
  • Martin Griffiths, DeafBlind Cymru
  • Nick Hawksworth, Royal College of Ophthalmologists
  • Ceri Jackson, Head of Sight Loss Prevention, RNIB Cymru
  • Ian Jones, Optometry Wales
  • Helen Juckes-Hughes, RCN Wales/North Wales Local Health Board
  • Wayne Lewis, SENSE Cymru
  • Anita Lightstone, Programme Director, UK Vision Strategy
  • Gerry Lynch, Welsh Assembly Government
  • Suzanne Martin, Chairman, Welsh Branch, British and Irish Orthoptic Society
  • Yvonne Millward, All Wales Orthoptic Advisory Committee
  • Sarah O'Sullivan Adams, Welsh Assembly Government
  • Alun Roberts, Rehabilitation Officers Forum Wales
  • Barbara Ryan, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences/Vice Chair of Ethnic Minority Steering Group for Eye Health
  • Phil Stevens, Wales Council for the Blind
  • Tim Wess, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences
  • Moyna Wilkinson, Chair of Health and Social Care Group, Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru
  • Richard Williams, RNID Cymru

Ambassadors

  • Ken Reid, Scotland
  • Sue Taylor, Gateshead (North East)
  • Deborah Hamlin, South of England

Champions

  • Kiera Bentley, Buckinghamshire 
  • Henrietta Doyle, London
  • Christine Durnion, Stockton on Tees
  • Kay Eastwood, Scotland
  • Bill Milner, Liverpool
  • David Mitchell, Newcastle
  • Linda Oliver, Stockton on Tees 
  • Rani Pert, Suffolk
  • David Quarmby, Kirklees
  • Malcolm Swinburn, Lincoln 
  • Mhairi Thurston, Scotland