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BIOS Awards 2025

Noninees and winners

Awards 2025

BIOS Annual Awards winners 2025

Click through the slider below for details on our winners from the 2025 Awards, recognised at our Annual Awards Evening in Birmingham on June 19th 2025.

Upskilling Project
Julie Dowdney collecting her Outstanding Leadership Award, picture smiling with award next to Veronica Greenwood and Helen Davis.
Roshni Pancholi, pictured posing with large cardboard selfie frame, alongside TU General Secretary Sam Aitkenhead and TU President Deborah Podmore.
Trudi Loan receiving her Rising Star Award from Julie Dowdney.
Hannah Harwood smiling with a balloon and her award.
Michelle Brown receiving her award alongside Visibility Lead Finn Burgum and Public Health Lead Fiona Bush.
Lowri Jones receiving her award from Research Director Kerry Hanna
Support workers at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board receiving their award

Service Improvement and Innovative Practice Award

Upskilling Project – Orthoptic Support Workers
Aisha Raja, Louise Surridge and Alice Dawes, Bedfordshire Community Health Services

The Upskilling Project was an innovative workforce development initiative designed to address service backlogs in the Community Eye Service (CES) by upskilling two Band 3 Orthoptic Support Workers (OSWs) to Band 4 roles. This allowed OSWs to lead Child Vision Clinics (CVCs) and support Non-Urgent Vision Clinics (NUVCs), improving patient flow and reducing waiting times.

Developed in response to post-pandemic referral surges, the project streamlined service delivery and created a transferable competency framework that enhanced career progression, job satisfaction, and staff retention.

Outstanding Leadership Award

Julie Dowdney
Chair of LOOP

For being an exceptional leader whose vision and dedication will profoundly shape the opportunities for the training of future orthoptists.

In particular, Julie’s leadership has led to the implementation of the very first apprenticeship in orthoptics. She took the responsibility for addressing challenges of recruitment into the profession head-on, ensuring that the market forces paved a way for a nontraditional route into orthoptics and took the initiative to connect and collaborate with the National Apprenticeship Team.

BOSTU Rep of the Year Award

Roshni Pancholi
University Hospitals of Leicester

Roshni has shown nothing but true commitment to her role, she has a motivated attitude and demonstrated an ability to navigate the challenges that come with negotiating amongst staff, management and service in a gracious and considerate way. As a union rep, she has directed and advised and always offered a listening ear.

Roshni has faced several obstacles in her role. She has embraced the challenges and is always eager to persevere with a positive and caring attitude.

Rising Star Award

Trudi Logan
Borders General Hospital

Trudi was recognised for her upbeat attitude and commitment, making her an integral part of the eye care team at Borders General Hospital.

Within her first month, Trudi created an Instagram account, initially with the purpose of educating NQPs and students around what to expect during their first days in post. Trudi’s motivation came from a need she identified in herself, and the many questions she wished she could have had answered before her first day. These have been well received, and Trudi has since expanded her posts to include information for patients.

Educator of the Year Award

Hannah Harwood
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals

Hannah has been supporting the education of orthoptic students using the HoloLens in her clinical sessions.

Hannah has an excellent teaching style, and is extremely thorough in ensuring the students receive high-quality teaching whilst remaining professional with the patient. She not only provides wonderful teaching to our students, but also shows exemplary clinical practice, which can only lend to supporting students’ communication and professionalism skills.

Champions Award

Michelle Brown
Gibraltar Health Authority

Michelle was awarded for her role in transforming the cervical cytology screening program in Gibraltar, which has the potential to save many lives.

As part of her role in clinical governance and public health, she was appointed to carry out a review of the cervical screening program. Her report and recommendations to the executive team ultimately led to the relaunch of the cervical screening program. Michelle was responsible for making the cervical screening program safe and robust and ensuring an effective launch, including the setup of a helpline for queries and bookings, manned by a trained team.

Clinical Research/Audit Award

Lowri Jones
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital

Lowri was awarded for for her passion as a clinical research orthoptist. She is fairly new to research but has shown herself to be a natural, clearly understanding how research can aid the development of patient care.

She was successful in winning an opportunity of a Research Internship (funded by BIOS) which she thoroughly enjoyed, and which inspired her to pursue her dream to become a clinical researcher. Lowri is very interested in improving patient care and has demonstrated her belief that clinical research is the way to enhance and improve our orthoptic services for the benefit of all.

Excellence in a Support Role

Paul Austin, Paula Catley, Ella Guzman and Hayley Haines
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

The entire team at Aneurin Bevan were put forward for this award, commended for their knowledge and skill, but also their professional, empathetic and articulate manner. They always go the extra mile to ensure patient is put at ease and make their visit an enjoyable experience – often receiving compliments from their patient cohort.

Involved in Paediatric Ophthalmology, stroke, and glaucoma services, they are currently undertaking the fundamentals of Ophthalmology Diploma and AGORED Level 3 qualification.

Full list of nominees

Service Improvement and Innovative Practice Award

For members of the orthoptic workforce who have tackled new or longstanding problems in creative ways.

Winner:

Upskilling Project – Orthoptic Support Workers
Aisha Raja, Louise Surridge and Alice Dawes, Bedfordshire Community Health Services

Nominees:

Acute eye emergency pathway for children 
Paediatric Eye Emergency Team (Rahilah Bukhari, Alan Lok, Silvy John, Sam Tomkins, Amber Preston, Jayna Mistry, Charlotte Calcott, Imran Khan) at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire

Orthoptist-led Paediatric Diagnostic Clinic  
Paediatric Ophthalmology Diagnostic Team (Claire Critchley, Bridie Bukorovic and Rida Khalid) at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals

Visual screening for stroke inpatients  
Rebecca Pinches, Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

Orthoptist-led glaucoma clinic 
Neda Qurashi, James Cook University Hospital

Training for squint surgery consenting and theatre assistant roles 
Pamela Anketell and Ciara McAtamney, Strabismus Team at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

Orthoptic-led myasthenia gravis (MG) service 
Abbie Ewart, Moorfields Eye Hospital

Biometry service
Ava Mary McWilliams Maguire, University Hospital Coventry

Orthoptic First Assistant role in theatre
Giles Pullan and Eve Lynch, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital

Enganced glaucoma care project 
Iulia Truscai, King’s College NHS Trust

Educator of the Year Award

For excellence in a clinic tutor or educator role within an HEI or clinical placement environment.

Winner:

Hannah Harwood
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals

Nominees:

Alina Ramji and Harpreet Mulla
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

Deborah Lewis
Royal Hallamshire Hospital

Emma Rowett
Warrington and Halton Hospitals

Gemma Arblaster
University of Sheffield

Mel Riley
Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals

Excellence in a Support Role

For non-registered support workers or assistants working within orthoptics, making a positive contribution to patient outcomes and the teams they work in.

Winner:

Paul Austin, Paula Catley, Ella Guzman and Hayley Haines
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

Nominees:

Kate Kemp
Newcastle Eye Centre

Tatjana Volkova
Moorfields Eye Hospital

Rising Star Award

For excellence in an early career environment.

Winner:

Trudi Logan
Borders General Hospital

Nominees:

Eden Nabiyou
King’s College Hospital

Eleanor Kelly
Moorfields Eye Hospital

Jack Ellis
Newcastle Eye Centre

Mahruk Ahmed
Moorfields Eye Hospital

Hana Abukar
Royal Free Hospital

Champions Award

For services to BIOS within the wider scope of our public work.

Winner:

Michelle Brown
Gibraltar Health Authority

Nominees:

Alis Sejourne
Royal London Hospital

Aylsha Budd
Warrington and Halton Hospitals

Asad Atiq & Jenna Wall
Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

Lesley-Anne Baxter
BIOS Retirement Association

Liz Tomlin
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

Marian Owoniyi
BIOS EDI Lead

Neda Qurashi
James Cook University Hospital

Sqn Ldr Bonnie Posselt
RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine

Alicia Thompson
Association of British Dispensing Opticians

Clinical Research/Audit Award

For contributions to the profession through research and audit.

Winner:

Lowri Jones
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital

Nominees:

Henrietta Holmes-Smith
Royal Bournemouth Hospital

Laura England
Manchester Royal Eye Hospital

Rebecca Pinches
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

Outstanding Leadership Award

For orthoptists at any stage in their career who demonstrate effective clinical leadership in their role and the ability to inspire, improving patient care through their leadership.

Winner:

Julie Dowdney
Chair of LOOP

Nominees:

Bhavini Gohil
Royal Free Hospital

Claire Critchley
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals

Martin Rhodes
Sheffield Teaching Hospital Trust

Sue Elliott
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust

BOSTU Rep of the Year Award

Recognising the outstanding contribution of a local, regional or national British Orthoptic Society Trade Union (BOSTU) representative.

Winner:

Roshni Pancholi
University Hospitals of Leicester

Nominees:

Roshni Pancholi
University Hospitals of Leicester

Sam Green
BOSTU Lead Regional officer for the South

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Orthoptist giving eye drops to patient

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