Media spokespeople: meet the experts

Our team of eye health experts and historians are on hand to help with media enquiries and are happy to speak via email or on the phone. They are experienced in speaking across all media platforms and make regular television appearances. 

Daniel Hardiman-McCartney MBE FCOptom, Higher Cert Glauc

Spokesperson: Eye health

Daniel is one of our clinical advisers for four days each week, dividing the remainder of his time between primary care optometry and community glaucoma clinics in East Anglia. He is a passionate advocate of the profession, committed to supporting all practitioners and ensuring that patient care is always at the heart of optometry. He has helped lead the sector’s response to the pandemic and has made many national media appearances discussing the importance of good eye health and the vital role of optometry in primary care. He has appeared on BBC Breakfast, Sky News, BBC Health Truth or Scare, You and Yours and The Today Program on Radio 4. In addition, Daniel is regularly quoted in the print media with over 120 quotes including The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, Financial Times, BBC Online and The Huffington Post.

Denise Voon MCOptom Prof Cert Med Ret

Spokesperson: Eye health

Denise is one of our clinical advisers for three days each week. She is also a specialist optometrist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, an optometric adviser to the GOC and domiciliary optometrist. Particularly interested in medical retina, specifically age-related macular degeneration and producing resources to help support people effected by visual impairment to maintain their independence. Denise is one of our expert spokespeople and had appeared on national TV and radio, including Steph’s Packed Lunch, Dr Xand’s Con or Cure and ITV news, BBC Regional Radio and multiple local radio stations discussing the importance of good eye health. Denise regularly contributes to print media including the Telegraph, the Guardian and has been quoted in international publications as well as written articles for our sector media such as the New Optometrist.

Dr Paramdeep Bilkhu MCOptom, DipTp(IP)

Spokesperson: Eye health

As well as his work at the College, Paramdeep works in primary care practice and urgent eye care services as a therapeutic optometrist in the West Midlands. He also holds a visiting Research Fellowship at Aston University. He is our independent prescribing lead adviser, Clinical Management Guidelines writing team member, leads our myopia management guidance and evidence review and is one of our expert spokespeople.

Dr Neil Handley PhD, AMA, FRSA

Spokesperson: Historian

Neil is recognised as one the UK’s principal historians of spectacles, vision aids and opticians. He has been curator of the British Optical Association Museum at the College since 1998 and is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers.

He took over as Chairman of the Scientific Instrument Society in 2023 and has also served as a Past President of the Ocular Heritage Society of America (2019-20), which has awarded him its speaker’s medal on several occasions. Neil can advise on historic optical items, including their identification and dating, and has been consulted by several film and television productions.

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