Chair

Fionnuala has lived and worked in Cheshire for over 25 years. She is Chair of the Cheshire Local Committee and represents Optometry on the System Primary Care Committee. As a founder member of Primary Eyecare Services board, Fionnuala brings strong healthcare experience and is passionate about representing local optical professionals, ensuring high-quality, accessible services across our community working collaboratively with our NHS colleagues.

Treasurer

Phil joined the committee in 2017 and became the Treasurer in 2018. Phil currently works as a Slit Lamp examiner/grader on the Cheshire NHS diabetic retinal screening programme and as a locum across Cheshire for various multiple and independent practices.

CPD Officer

Jill works as a locum Dispensing Optician and is a member of ABDO. As CPD officer for the committee Jill helps to arrange CPD and social events for Cheshire members. Jill has also provided support to the Cheshire and Merseyside CVD Pilot.

Secretary

Amy is an independent optometrist working in Congleton, Cheshire. Amy has been on the Cheshire LOC for over 13 years. Amy helps to represent East Cheshire at meetings, supports Fionnuala and Phil and helps arrange CPD events.

Jane has been practicing Optometry since 1991. She set up Jane Smellie Opticians in 1997 and now owns 3 practices in Cheshire, Shropshire and Wrexham. Jane has always been passionate about extending services in Optometry into specialist areas and has interests in many fields of optometry including specialist contact lens fitting, Visual Stress, dry eye treatments and a wide range of enhanced and shared care services. She became an Independent Prescriber in 2020 and has recently gained her Higher Certificate in Glaucoma.

Andrew is an Optometrist who owns Taylors Optometrists in Winsford Cheshire. He has been a member of the LOC since 2019. He has been involved with LOC’s since he qualified in 2000 and was Chairman of Optometry Wales from 2016-19. He also has a role as clinical lead for primary care optometry with the Cheshire and Merseyside Provider Collaborative. He has a special interest in Paediatrics and Learning Disabilities.

Harinder qualified as an optometrist since 1993 and has since worked as a community optometrist, mostly in Northwich. Harinder has completed Independent Prescribing in Optometry in 2017, which led to sessional work at Leighton Hospital in anterior eye casualty clinics. She has also completed her Professional Certificate in Glaucoma in 2022. She is a pre-registration optometrist supervisor . Practising in the community and also previously in the hospital has given her a view of both perspectives when reviewing enhanced optical pathways.

Cahir is the franchisee holder of four stores within Cheshire. He is keen to play his part in giving back to optics through the work of the LOC. He wants to support the great work going on around Enhanced Services by helping to ensure Enhanced Services are viable in our ever increasing capacity limited clinics. In particular to help engage multiples and their employed optometrists to participate & offer all viable Enhanced Services available. This will help patient choice and support the increasing workload within the area.

Adam joined Cheshire LOC in 2025 and is a practicing optometrist based in East Cheshire. A graduate of the University of Manchester, he is keen to bring a fresh perspective to the committee and represent the views of early career optometrists.

Ellie joined Cheshire LOC in 2025 and is the Optometrist Director of three practices across West Cheshire and the Wirral. An advocate for continued learning and the widening role of primary care optometry, Ellie is currently working towards her own IP qualification and looks forward to providing an IP service within the community.

Adam is an optometrist with over ten years of experience, appointed to the Cheshire LOC in 2025. Adam has a specialist interest in visual stress and hands-on experience delivering CUES services as well as currently working towards his IP qualification. He is currently employed for Allister and Simpson Opticians in Neston.