About the presenters:
Jeremy Miles MS, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
Jeremy Miles was born and raised in Pontarddulais. As a Welsh speaker, he was educated at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera in the Swansea Valley and New College, Oxford where he studied law. Following graduation, Jeremy taught law at Warsaw University in Poland. Later, Jeremy practised as a solicitor in London and then held senior legal and commercial posts in media sector businesses, including ITV and the US television network and film studio NBC Universal. After returning to live in Wales Jeremy set up his own consultancy working with international clients in the broadcast and digital sectors.
Jeremy was elected to the National Assembly for Wales for the Neath constituency in May 2016 as the Labour and Co-operative party candidate. On 16 November 2017, Jeremy was appointed Counsel General and on 13 December 2018 he was appointed Counsel General and Minister for Brexit. Jeremy was appointed Minister for Education and Welsh Language on 13 May 2021, and Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language on 21 March 2024. Jeremy was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on 11 September 2024.
Jeremy’s interests include economic and community development, education and skills. He also enjoys film, reading, cooking, hiking, cycling and following rugby locally.
Pushpinder Mangat, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Welsh Government
Push, as he is known, was born in India and emigrated to the UK in 1962. He grew up and was educated in Walsall and Wolverhampton, and subsequently studied Medicine in the University of Birmingham, qualifying in 1983.
Following House jobs, his training initially in General Medicine and then in Anaesthesia was largely based in South Wales – the old Llanelli General Hospital, and the sets of hospitals in Swansea and Cardiff. Interspersed in this period were two training periods in Birmingham and Cambridge.
On completion of his training, Push was appointed as a Consultant in Intensive Care and Neuroanaesthesia in Morriston Hospital, Swansea in 1994. From 2005-2011, Push undertook several clinical management roles, and from 2011 to 2018, became Deputy Medical Director in Swansea.
In 2018 Push was appointed as Medical Director in the newly formed Health Education and Improvement Wales where he remained until May 2024 when he took on this current role as Deputy Chief Medical Officer – Health Services in Welsh Government.
Jennifer Acton, Senior Lecturer, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University
Jennifer is an optometrist and Senior Lecturer at Cardiff University. She completed her PhD at Aston University and postdoctoral fellowships at Columbia University and New York University. Jennifer is the Director of Admissions and Recruitment in the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences and she is involved in clinical teaching of the optometry undergraduate students. She is a member of the Ophthalmic Public Health Group at Cardiff University, and her research interests include clinical and public health research related to eyecare.
Gwyn Samuel Williams, Consultant Ophthalmologist.
Gwyn Samuel Williams is a consultant ophthalmologist with an interest in medical retina based at Singleton Hospital, Swansea. He trained in ophthalmology on the Wales rotation and completed his fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London. He is also an Honorary associate professor at the University of Swansea.
He has authored a book about the practical management of inflammatory eye disease, written chapters in medical textbooks and also published a novel. His interests include hiking, reading and writing and he has a special interest in medical education. He lives in Swansea.
David O'Sullivan, Chief Optometric Advisor to Welsh Government
David qualified as an optometrist with a First-Class Honours degree from Glasgow Caledonian University in 1996 before completing his training in Leeds general infirmary. Following a short spell in Yorkshire he relocated to Wales in 1998 where he became a practice owner expanding from one practice to a small group of practices within Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
He became accredited to provide Welsh Eye Care Services (Eye Health Examination and Low Vision Service Wales) in the first cohort of practitioners for both services and has subsequently undertaken further postgraduate qualifications in glaucoma management and ocular therapeutics.
In 2001 he became the Optometric Development Officer for Carmarthenshire Local Health group, which has subsequently developed into Hywel Dda University Health Board. This was the first position of its kind in Wales and provided a link between primary and secondary care providing the platform for developing services in the community.
In 2015 he became the Optometric Adviser for Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan University Health Board and in July 2017 became the Chief Optometric Adviser for Wales, leading on the NHS Wales Future Approach for Optometry and clinical reforms for eye care in Wales”.
David was recognised in the 2024 Kings New Years Honours List, becoming an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for “Services to Eye Care in Wales”.
Andrea Gordon, Guide Dogs Cymru
Andrea is External Affairs Manager for Guide Dogs Cymru, leading their policy and campaigning work in Wales. In previous roles, she worked for Shaw Trust as Health and Social Care Manager, and for the Cabinet Office delivering its Positive Action on Disability programme for disabled people working in the Civil Service. Andrea is Chair of the Welsh government’s Disability Rights Task Force group on travel, a member of Transport For Wales’s Access and Inclusion Group, and an advocate for the rights of vision impaired people in Swansea, where she lives. She is a Graduate of Swansea university, and spends most of her free time gardening, walking her Guide Dog or contributing to the competitions organised by Swansea Writers Circle.
Dr. Nik Sheen, Head of Optometry, HEIW
Nik Sheen is the Head of Optometry in Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), a position he has held since 2019. Nik is an optometrist having qualified from Cardiff University in 1995. Following qualification, he worked for independent and multiple optometry practices before studying full-time in Bristol Eye Hospital for a MSc. Thereafter, Nik completed a PhD at Cardiff University in glaucoma investigation.
He has significant experience in teaching, research and leadership over the last 25 years and has previously been the Clinical Lead for the eye care service in Wales since it began as the Eye Health Examinations Wales service and been a Co-Director at the Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Centre (WOPEC). He has served 2 terms on the education and registration committee for the General Optical Council (GOC), been an expert witness and currently is an assessor for applications to practice in the UK.
Sandy Davies, Senior Practitioner, Bridgend Sensory Services
Sandy Davies is Chair of Welsh Rehabilitation Officers Forum(WROF) the professional body representing VRS’s across Wales. She was working in the fitness industry until she had a very personal experience of sight loss. During this time she volunteered with Wales Council of the Blind delivering awareness training across Wales and volunteered with Sight Life. Sandy trained as a Rehabilitation Officer (ROVI) in Birmingham and then went on to complete the BSc in Rehabilitation Studies in Visual Impairment. Sandy is a Vision Rehabilitation Specialist formally known as a Rehabilitation Officer (ROVI). She initially worked in London as a ROVI and then returned to Wales working in Neath Port Talbot. Sandy worked in Care & Repair as a Managing Better Caseworker and was part of the service when it was originally set up over 6 years ago. She is currently in Bridgend Sensory Services and chairs the Bridgend Professionals meetings bringing Health, Social Care and Third Sector together supporting people with sight and dual sensory loss. Sandy is passionate about sight loss and is constantly working to better co-ordinate services and other professionals to the benefit of vision loss. Sandy enjoys travelling and visiting friends across the world.
Nick Lancaster, Service User
Nick Lancaster was born with an eye condition call Aniridia, which led to a number of other degenerative sight conditions developing. Registered blind as a teenager and becoming a Guide Dog owner in his 30’s he has many years of life experience with sight loss and actively advocates for vision impaired people in many ways to improve their lives.
Prof. Barbara Ryan
Barbara is an optometrist. She was the founding Clinical Lead for the Low Vision Service Wales and a founding Director of WOPEC. Currently she is Deputy Head of School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University and has a broad remit covering health services research, teaching and practice. Barbara practices one day a week in Aneurin Bevan Health Board and is an independent prescribing optometrist.
Rhianon Reynolds
Rhianon Perrott-Reynolds qualified as an Optometrist with a degree from Cardiff University in 1997. Following a pre-registration year in Community optometry she undertook a full time PhD at Cardiff investigating ocular blood flow in patients with type 2 Diabetes. During this time she decided to start a medical career and graduated with honours from Cardiff University medical school. Her training in Ophthalmology started in the Wales Deanery in 2010 and after completion of training and a fellowship in Medical Retina and Uveitis at Bristol eye hospital Rhianon took up a consultant post with Aneurin Bevan at the start of 2020 where she is now clinical lead. Her main clinical interest is Medical retina, Retinal imaging, Uveitis and cataract surgery.
During training Rhianon maintained a strong interest in research. She has been investigator on many clinical trials and She is part of the Welsh Eyecare Pathway Research Network who recently won am RfPPB grant to look at the impact of the changes to legislation allowing low vision optometrists to register people as sight impaired. Rhianon is also a senior lecturer in the Department of Optometry and Vision Science at Cardiff University on projects including imaging in Age related macular degeneration. Since September Rhianon is the new Llywydd of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in Wales.
Hester Richardson, QTVI, MEd, QTMSI FHEA
Hester first qualified as a teacher of children with Vision Impairments in 2001. She has worked with children with vision impairments in a range of settings – both specialist schools and Inclusion Services, and qualified as a teacher of children with Multi-Sensory Impairments in 2014. After working for New College Worcester, and for RNIB in London, Hester worked for the Cardiff VI service from 2009, and led the service from 2012 until 2022. Hester now works at the University of Birmingham as an Assistant Professor delivering the Mandatory Qualification and MA in teaching children with Multi-Sensory Impairments. This is one of only two courses in the country which provides training in the mandatory qualification of QTMSI.
John Dixon, NHS (Wales) Engagement Manager, RNIB
John is RNIB Cymru’s NHS Engagement Manager, responsible for RNIB’s strategic priority to innovate and embed a quality, timely and effective eye care support pathway alongside the clinical pathway, so that blind and partially sighted people are able to quickly access quality practical and emotional support they need at any point. His role sits alongside RNIB Cymru’s ongoing work to prevent avoidable sight loss, to ensure people can access information, advice and services that improve wellbeing and independence.
Prior to this post John was RNIB’s UK Policy Lead for Health and Social Care. Before joining RNIB, John spent 7 years as Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Wellbeing at Cardiff Council, responsible for local health partnerships, children’s and adult social care, public health and cross-cutting wellbeing issues. During this time, he also acted as the chair of the Cardiff Health and Wellbeing Alliance, Welsh Local Government Association deputy spokesperson for Adult Social Care, the chair of the WLGA Social Services Policy Group, a council member of the Care Council for Wales, and a non-executive director of both the Local Government Data Unit and Social Services Improvement Agency.
Tim Morgan, WGOS National Clinical Lead
Tim Morgan is a Wales General Ophthalmic Services' National Clinical Lead, alongside Rebecca John and Mike George who are also presenting at this conference. This role is employed by NHS Wales to support all 7 Health Boards.
Additionally, he is an Optometrist performer and contractor with his own practice in North East Wales.
Wales Vision Forum
The purpose of the Forum is for organisations representing people with sight loss to come together to share, discuss and outline work programmes and priorities to enhance joint working and reduce duplication to maximise our collective reach and impact.
The Forum is a platform for sharing information, sharing good practice and expertise, consulting and identifying opportunities to support service and campaign planning.
The group will also focus on the work of relevant work-streams in the sight loss sector. Task and finish groups will be established for specific areas of work, as agreed at meetings or via email by a majority.
http://wcb-ccd.org.uk/wales-vision-forum
Low Vision Service Wales
Low vision simply means not being able to see as well as most other people even when you're wearing glasses or contact lenses. For example, you would probably have low vision if you have age related macular degeneration (AMD).
If you already have a vision impairment or low vision, or are registered as either sight impaired or severely sight impaired a specially trained and accredited Low vision optician/optometrist) can help you make the best use of the sight you have.
Optometry Wales
Optometry Wales is the professional umbrella organisation for the primary care eye health profession in Wales. We represent and work on behalf of all community optometrists, opticians and dispensing opticians across Wales.
We are funded by contributions from each of the Regional Optical Committees in Wales, and from the UK optical bodies.
Our key working partners are Welsh Government, the Welsh Optometric Postgraduate Education Centre (WOPEC), NHS Wales, the voluntary sector and the Welsh Optometric Committee (WOC).
Working in partnership with all of these organisations and bodies we are committed to excellence in eye care in Wales.
UCAN Productions
UCAN Productions (Unique Creative Arts Network) is an award-winning cooperative founded in 2005 to address the lack of performance and creative opportunities for blind and partially sighted children, young people and adults in Wales. Since then, the organisation has grown to over 700 visually impaired members of all ages.
UCAN Productions develops specialised drama workshops and theatrical performances that challenge the perceptions of the sighted world. By improving physical and vocal confidence and raising the aspirations of its members, UCAN has proved, many times, that visual impairment is no barrier to success in the world of performing arts and beyond.