Your Committee

Lorna Partridge, Chair

I qualified as an optometrist in 1987, and since then have worked for independent practices and in the multiple sector, both as an employee and as a locum. More recently I have been working as a specialist optometrist in glaucoma and AMD/medical retina clinics at Sussex Eye Hospital and working part-time in high street optometry.

I have been Chair of West Sussex LOC since 2018, and am also a committee member of East Sussex LOC.

Mark Godfrey, Treasurer

I’m a Qualified Dispensing Optician and I currently work as practice manager for Collisons Opticians based in Worthing on the Sussex Coast. I qualified way back in the early 1980’s and have spent my whole career working as a Dispensing Optician. Over the years, I have developed an interest in Low Vision work and Paediatric Dispensing and have had the opportunity to develop my skills in a number of hospital clinics in London, Surrey and across Sussex as well as in my more familiar high street practice.

I have served as a Committee member on the West Sussex LOC for many years and currently hold the office of Treasurer. I have also in the past been a member of the local ABDO committee and various Low Vision committees covering West Sussex and Brighton.

Vicki Macken, Committee Member

Vicki Macken has been in practice over 30 years and has been on either East or West Sussex LOC the majority of that time, taking various roles including a time as Chairman for East Sussex. In addition Vicki worked for 10 years in a senior leadership role for Brighton and Hove PCT commissioning cataract and macula degeneration pathways and she has worked for 10 years on a sessional basis for The Sussex Eye Hospital in their Macula Clinic. She was also LOCSU lead for Kent, Surrey and Sussex and chairman of the first Local Eye Health Network for our region.

Vicki is now working as Owner/Director and Optometrist at Hassocks Eyecare Centre.

Catriona Gardiner, Committee Member

Catriona qualified from Glasgow Caledonian University in 1990 and has worked in independent practices in Essex, Kent and Sussex. She is the owner of Gardiner Opticians in Burgess Hill, since 2012 and has held the post of Specialist Paediatric Optometrist at Sussex Eye Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital since 2002.

Dilara Ceylan, Committee Member

Dilara is a Resident Optometrist in a West Sussex based practice and one of the newest members of the committee.

Abbas Hassam, Committee Member

Abbas is a qualified optometrist & graduated at the University of Bradford in 2009 having previously qualified as a Dispensing & Contact Lens Optician. He has a keen interest in Myopic progression in children. Abbas is owner of an independent opticians practice in West Sussex & currently serving as a committee member on the West Sussex LOC.

Fiona Broome, Committee Member

I am an Optometrist working in an employed role in an independent practice in Chichester. I was a director of a small group of practices for many years and have also worked as a self-employed locum. I am passionate about improving services and getting the recognition from the NHS for the role that Community Practices and Optometrists are contributing in primary care.

Louise Sloan, Committee Member

I qualified as an optometrist in 1996 and have since then worked in high street practices and within hospital eye departments both in the UK and Australia. I particularly enjoyed working in wet AMD and Glaucoma clinics.

I am now studying independent prescribing, and I am finding the course to be challenging and enjoyable. Alongside studying I am working as a locum optometrist for independent practices in Sussex. I have been a member of the LOC for over 5 years and I see our role as a committee is to support and represent the interest of optometrists and dispensing opticians across our area.

Nicola Sabokbar, Committee Member

I am an Independent Prescribing Optometrist working mostly in independent practices in West Sussex. I have a special interest in research and in 2020 gained a Doctor of Optometry degree at Aston university specializing in paediatric glaucoma. I also work part time in glaucoma at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead. My hobbies include running, travel and politics

Nikita Patel, Committee Member

I work as a Resident Lead Optometrist in a high street multiple in West Sussex, where I also supervise Pre-Reg Optometrists. I have previously qualified as a Dispensing Optician and have additionally completed the Professional Certificates in Medical Retina and Glaucoma. Earlier I have done work with artificial intelligence and OCT at Google DeepMind.

I am currently responsible for and am working on the WSLOC website and am committed to making a contribution to primary eye care.

Bertha Makumbe, Committee Member

I qualified as a Dispensing Optician from Full Time Education at Glasgow College of Technology in
1987. I had Further Optometric Studies In South Africa, and I qualified as an Optometrist from Rand
Afrikaans University; Johannesburg in 1998. On Coming back to the UK in 2001 I had to do the Non-
EEU Optometry Conversion Course and in 2004 I graduated as a UK Practice Optometrist. Since then,
I have worked for many multiple organisations as a resident Optometrist covering the Southeast
Region; West Sussex and Hampshire. Now I work as a locum Optometrist gaining so many
experiences on enhanced services within different ICB. I joined the West Sussex LOC in May 2025

Administrator

WSLOC has an administrator that works part time manning the WSLOC mailbox and sharing key information. They also organise the committee meetings and AGM alongside any minute-taking.

If there are any queries that you have, please email directly on: office.westsussexloc@gmail.com