‘From early in my career I have always been keen to push the boundaries of not only my own scope of practice, but the scope of optometric practice as a whole. I am keen to bring more ophthalmology services out of the traditional hospital setting and into the community, providing a better, ‘patient centred’ eye care model in the UK.’
Imogen R. Hawthorne
Imogen is an experienced hospital optometrist practicing in the West Midlands. After completing her pre-registration with a high street multiple in 2009, she moved into hospital optometry. Her first post at Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary gained her competence and expertise in paediatric refraction, medical contact lenses, low vision, general ophthalmology, cataract, glaucoma, cornea, uveitis, diabetes , eye casualty and clinical research. Her final years at WEI were as a Clinical Lead Optometrist, her most notable achievements during this time being a remodel of the contact lens and low vision services. Upon leaving WEI, Imogen continued seeing patients at their sister Hospital, Walsall Manor, by taking over the running of their small hospital contact lens service.
In May 2018, after 8 1/2 years at WEI, Imogen moved to SpaMedica, the UK’s largest provider of cataract surgery. Her role there was as Lead Optometrist for the Midlands, as well as Acting Lead for the South. During the rapid expansion of the company Imogen played an integrel role in building the optometric team within the Midlands and later in the South, as SpaMedica opened its first few hospitals in the that region. While leading the team she continued her clinical role performing cataract and YAG capsulotomy assessment, post-op care for cataract patients including complex vitreo-retinal cases, and YAG capsulotomy treatments. Later in 2018, Imogen also began providing clinical care in glaucoma and acute eye conditions in a small number of clinics at Modality LLPs (then) brand new community ophthalmlogy service.
In March 2021, having been offered an opportunity to establish and co-lead a new Advanced Clinical Practice MSc programme at Aston University, Imogen embarked on a transition to a more ‘portfolio approach’ to her clinical practice. Alongside her new academic post, Imogen took up a substantive Lead Optometrist role at Modality LLP, as well as providing a small number of clinical sessions to local NHS hospitals. At present she continues to see medical contact lens patients on a monthly basis at Walsall Manor, provides paediatric ‘COVID catch-up’ sessions to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and does ophthalmic research at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.