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Hywel Dda Optometric Team Wins at the Optometry Wales Awards 2025

15 December 2025

Hywel Dda University Health Board’s (UHB) Optometric Team has won the Health Board Support Award at the Optometry Wales Awards 2025.

The award, sponsored by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), was presented by BBC Wales presenter Lucy Owen at a ceremony on 29 November 2025 in Cardiff.

The awards, organised by Optometry Wales, celebrate outstanding achievements in eye care in Wales. They recognise individuals and teams who go above and beyond to support patients, colleagues and communities through clinical excellence, innovation, mentorship, sustainability and service development.

Hywel Dda UHB’s Optometric Team received the award in recognition of the significant support provided to optometric practices during the introduction of the new national Optometry contract.

Their nomination highlighted the team’s leadership throughout the transition period and commitment to ensuring practices were equipped to deliver high-quality eye health services under the new arrangements.

A major part of this work involved establishing new clinical pathways to allow more patients to be managed safely in primary care. These pathways have enabled people to access timely care from their local optometrist and have reduced the need for a hospital appointment, helping patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time.

Rachel Absalom, Head of Optometric Services at Hywel Dda UHB, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this award. It reflects the dedication of our committed team and the strong relationships we have built with optometric practices across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire.

“The new pathways have made a real difference for patients by enabling more care to happen closer to home, and we are grateful to all our colleagues in primary care who have worked with us to make this possible.”

Since January 2024, over 13,300 appointments have been delivered in the community using these enhanced pathways. Previously, many of these patients would have been referred to the hospital eye service to be reviewed by a consultant ophthalmologist. Now, only an average of only 13.9% of patients require hospital referral, demonstrating the positive impact of community-based care.

Through the team's role in developing Optometry Collaboratives, they have also helped strengthen local eye care provision by bringing together local optometric practices to develop and share ideas to meet the local population's needs

Chief Executive Professor Philip Kloer added: “This award is a fantastic achievement and recognises the vital work of our Optometric Team in supporting the rollout of the new national contract. Their leadership has strengthened local services and helped patients receive care closer to home. I am also delighted to see several independent optometry practices from our region recognised on the night, which reflects the high standard of care delivered across Hywel Dda.”

On the night, there were a total of six wins across the Hywel Dda region. The winners included:

  • Optometrist of the Year - Andy Britton (Specsavers Haverfordwest). This award recognises exceptional clinical skill, patient care, and commitment to advancing the profession.
  • Independent Practice of the Year - MN Charlton (Concept Eye Clinic, Fishguard). This award celebrates excellence in service, patient experience, and team-led innovation in an independent practice setting.
  • Dispensing Optician / Contact Lens Optician of the Year - Samantha Houghton (Specsavers Haverfordwest). This award honours expert care, professionalism, and patient support.
  • Sustainability Practice of the Year - Specsavers Haverfordwest. This award celebrates leadership in sustainable practice and environmental responsibility.
  • Technology Practice of the Year - Specsavers Haverfordwest. This award celebrates the adoption of innovative technology to improve patient care and accessibility.

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