BBR Optometryscoop two prestigious national awards

BBR Optometry, the independent optometrist practice based on St Owen Street in Hereford, has received two highly prestigious awards in a UK wide competition run by the Optician journal.

The 2008 Optician awards are designed to recognise excellence in the optical industry and they are very strongly contended each year from every region in the UK.

As proud winners of two of these award categories, Independent Practice of the Year and Business Initiative of the Year, BBR Optometry has been nationally recognised for the leading edge approach they have brought to optical care in Herefordshire and the surrounding regions.

The provision of increased choice and a higher quality of care, achieved by offering patients an extended eye examination that lasts for at least 40 minutes, were the key judging criteria that helped to land BBR Optometry the two awards. This approach compares very favourably to the basic eye test paid for by the NHS, which can last for as little as 20 minutes.

Employing only professionally qualified Dispensing Opticians and ensuring that all clinical assistants hold the Diploma as Clinical Assistants in Optometry meant that BBR Optometry also scored very highly for its commitment to providing service excellence in all areas of the practice.

"Through spending more time with our patients and by placing an emphasis on quality we are able to provide these discerning individuals with a service in which they can have total confidence. " said Nick Rumney, Managing Director at BBR Optometry.

Nick continues: "We undertake a detailed examination of every aspect of our patient's vision, from the demands of different lifestyles to the investigation of health related issues, where the eyes can provide a vital early warning. Our patients can rest assured they are getting some of the most comprehensive and advanced care currently available from anywhere in the UK."

The Optician Awards 2008 Saturday April 19, The London Hilton

BBR Optometry has been shortlisted in the prestigious 2008 Optician Awards for two separate award categories, Business Initiative of the Year and Independent Practice of the Year.

To be nominated for two awards is an outstanding achievement in itself but is of particular note in a year when the number and standard of entries has been confirmed by the organisers as the highest ever. Judging to decide the winner of each category will take place on February 28 and the winning entry will be announced on the night of Saturday April 19 at The London Hilton Hotel on Park Lane in London

The full shortlist will be published very soon in Optician Journal and on the awards website - www.opticianonline.net/awards2008

Stay in the clearall day long

Been told you cannot wear contact lenses? ACUVUE® ADVANCE Brand for ASTIGMATISM is the technology breakthrough you've been waiting for. So, no matter what you do for thrills-drive, contact sports, flirt, play video games - you can enjoy crisp, steady vision even if you have astigmatism.

Breakthrough technology, known as the Accelerated Stabilization Design, harnesses the power of the blink to create a lens that remains positioned correctly and gives you crisp, steady vision all day long, no matter what you are doing. ACUVUE® ADVANCE for ASTIGMATISM is the only contact lens for astigmatism with HYDRACLEAR technology, and gives you clear vision and maximum comfort all day long.

Accelerated Stabilization Design Controlled Lens/Lid interaction

The lid should only be active when it needs to be

WHO SHOULD WEAR ACUVUE® ADVANCE for ASTIGMATISM

People with astigmatism who:

• Experience discomfort or dryness with their contact lenses before end of the day
• Experience blurred or fluctuating vision with their current lenses
• Have been told they cannot wear contact lenses because of astigmatism

Can we improve your comfort and vision ?

New lenses materials and designs are continually becoming available and at BBR Optometry we have had the advantage of a pre-release trial with these lenses. We have found that their design overcomes significant problems that astigmats have experienced. We are continually trialing new designs and materials in all forms of lenses, so please do not hesitate to ask us about ways to improve on the comfort and performance of your current lenses.

Life fellowshipfor Hereford Optometrist

On 31^st January 2007 Hereford optometrist, Angela Bishop, was awarded Life Fellowship of the College of Optometrists in recognition of her many services to optometry including her particular contribution to children's vision.

At the ceremony at Central Hall in Westminster, London, where Angela was joined by 250 newly registered optometrists, she commented: "Optometry stands at a threshold of increasing clinical responsibility and I am proud to have been involved in shaping the development of the profession I love. None of this would be possible without the support of my husband, Peter with whom I started the practice in 1969, our close working with the hospital Eye Unit and the continued encouragement of our partner, Nick Rumney".

Proposing Angela for this award Nick Rumney, of BBR Optometry, said; "Angela almost single-handedly put children's vision at the heart of the profession of optometry. From the St Owen Street practice, Angela examined and treated thousands of children and passed this knowledge on to generations of new optometrists."

Based in a beautifully restored Georgian Town House in Hereford, BBR Optometry provides quality eye care and expertise in children's vision from a relaxing and pleasant, air-conditioned practice.

Nick Rumney, Managing Director at BBR Optometry, confirms: "Our optometrists and dispensing opticians are committed to continued professional development and strive to be involved in helping to shape the future of optometry to ensure delivery of the best possible eye care to all. With this aim, our people are involved with key organisations, including the Local Optical Committee, Victoria Eye Unit, Herefordshire Primary Care Trust, College of Optometrists, Association of British Dispensing Opticians and the General Optical Council, who work to promote primary health care to improve service to patients wherever possible."

What's in a name?

On 1st May 2006, just over one year after Peter and Angela Bishop retired from practice, Bishop, Bishop & Rumney became BBR Optometry Ltd. Why ?

Affectionately known for some time as BBR, this name is now derived from Stephanie Bonner, Nicholas Black and Nicholas Rumney, the 3 directors. Optometry is the term used to describe the specific set of professional services provided by Optometrists (also known as Ophthalmic opticians).

Bishop, Bishop & Rumney has used the title Optometrist for nearly twenty years to describe our work. Because we are a multi-partner practice using only qualified Optometrists, Dispensing Opticians and Contact Lens Opticians we wanted to reflect our qualifications and competence in our new name. While there has been a shift away from the use of surnames in our title, this allows us to focus on how the practice has grown. We now have a diverse range of multi-talented individuals who are integral to providing you with the quality of service you deserve.