Prab Boparai BSc (Hons) MCOptom Prof Cert Glauc
Principal Optometrist & Director
AOP UK Optometrist of the Year 2017
Prab started her career in optics at the age of 18 as a trainee dispensing optician in London. She soon realised that this was the profession she wanted to follow and shortly after qualifying began further training to become a contact lens practitioner.
Soon after she was headhunted for the position of branch manager at a large optical chain and later became involved in the regional business development program.
Alongside her career Prab got married and entered into motherhood. She then returned to her studies as a mature student and began her degree in Optometry at UMIST (Manchester) later transferring to and graduating from City University in London.
As an Optometrist Prab has spent much of her career working for many of the large multiples, including Boots Opticians, Specsavers, Dollond & Aitchison and Vision Express, as well as some independent practices.
Looking for a bigger challenge, Prab joined the team at Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary (now known as New Cross Hospital) where her professional development led her to the role of Specialist hospital Optometrist.
Having experienced a wide range of roles within her profession she realised her interests lie in building a long lasting professional relationships with her patients – which she feels she can only provide in an independent practice. This has led her to open up her own community based independent practice, Bushbury Eye Care, in 2010, later renamed to Prab Boparai Opticians in 2014.
In 2020, Prab took over the reins of leading independent practice, Albrighton Eye Centre. After a thorough refurbishment and technological makeover – with the installation of several state of the art optical testing devices – Prab reopened the practice as Albrighton Eye Clinic.
Clinical Specialities
During her career Prab has developed experience in a wide range of ophthalmic fields, particularly whilst working in assisted clinics under the supervision of consultant Ophthalmologists in the Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary (New Cross Hospital).
These assisted clinics include;
- Diabetic eye disease – Slit lamp/ biomicroscopy grading for the Wolverhampton Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Program
- Cataract
- Cornea
- Complex contact lenses (e.g. keratoconus)
- Aged related macular degeneration (inc. treatment research programs with Novartis)
- Glaucoma
- Paediatric
Outside of hospital, Prab was also a primary and secondary grader for the Staffordshire Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Program.
She is one of a handful in the country who has been accredited with a SchoolVision Diploma. This allows her to perform specialist examinations designed for patients with reading difficulties and visual dyslexia. Prab also dispenses coloured overlays to help patients with visual stress and migraines.
Prab is contracted to provide both NHS and private sight tests and eye examinations.
Having undertaken extensive dry eye disease training, Prab offers dry eye assessments and leading treatments at her clinic in Albrighton.
Professional Roles
Prab was the chair of the Wolverhampton Local Optometric Committee (WLOC) for seven years, after having been a committee member for several years. As chair, Prab had been a part of planning some pioneering developments in improving eye care in Wolverhampton and was jointly responsible for launching three new eye care schemes in collaboration with the Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary, NHS England and the local clinical commissioning group.
In 2018 Prab was elected as the West Midlands Councillor for The College of Optometrists, to represent her Optometry colleagues from the area. This role allowed her to meet with her peers, discuss and enable many changes to be made to the Optometry sector.
This role led her to be appointed Trustee for The College of Optometrists in 2020, a position she was very honoured to perform.
She has also been the Chair of the South Staffordshire Optical Society which hosts various lectures and training events throughout the year for optical professionals.
Prab is an accredited assessor for WOPEC (Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Centre). As an assessor she is responsible for examining optometrists during their CET (continuing education training) exams.
Prab’s passion for clinical excellence has led her to become a facilitator of peer review groups discussing the latest developments in optometry with her professional colleagues.
Hobbies
In the little spare time Prab has she enjoys travelling and is particularly fond of tasting different cuisines from around the world. She is currently working through visiting the new Seven Wonders of the World, having conquered her fear of riding animals through spending her birthday camel riding through the Egyptian desert admiring the Pyramids.
Often being labelled as a workaholic Prab likes to relax with her family and pets and is a doting mother to five children (two children, two dogs and a horse).
Her absolute love of music and dancing helps fuel her interest in organising a wide array of social events.
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[restab title=”Mohinder Boparai“]
Mohinder Boparai BSc (Hons) MCOptom
Senior Optometrist
Mohinder qualified as an Optometrist as a mature student from Bradford university. He began his training as an Optometrist in Conquest Hospital in St Leonards on Sea in Hastings.
Since then his career has taken him throughout the country as an experienced locum Optometrist, working for both large optical chains and independent opticians practices and he enjoys his role as an independent Optometrist.
Mohinder also worked as a hospital Specialist Optometrist in the Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary where he performed Optometry duties under the care of consultant Ophthalmologists.
Clinical Specialities
His experience in hospital clinics include;
- Age related macula degeneration (inc. treatment research programs with Novartis)
- Cataract
- Cornea
- Diabetic eye disease
- Paediatric
- Low vision
- Glaucoma
His main interests lie in the reassessment of the eye during and after treatment (e.g. Lucentis injections) for wet macular degeneration.
Mohinder is contracted to perform NHS and private sight tests and eye examinations.
Hobbies
Mohinder’s thirst for knowledge led him to return to university part-time to study for the Graduate Diploma in Law. In his spare time he enjoys horse-riding and is an avid fan of clay pigeon shooting. He loves travelling and driving, often taking sightseeing road trips around the world. He also loves to entertain at dinner parties and is a passionate cook, much to the delight of his wife. Mohinder has a fondness for flying and is currently working towards a lifelong ambition to gain his private pilot’s license.
Sandeep Saimbi BSc (Hons) MCOptom
Optometrist/ Manager/ Specialist hospital Optometrist
Sandeep qualified as an Optometrist in 2013 graduating from the University of Bradford. She then moved back home to her family in Derbyshire and started working at Dollond & Aitchison Opticians where she completed her membership exams for the College of Optometrists. Soon after, she became accredited in the local referral pathway for glaucoma referral refinement and children’s vision screening.
Sandeep was seeking another challenge and left to work as a Specialist refractive Optometrist at Optical Express. Here she was able to develop her skills and knowledge in order to carry out consultations and post operative checks for laser eye surgery and natural lens replacement surgery. She was also involved in the consenting process and day of surgery pre operative checks at the clinic in Nottingham.
Whilst taking on the role of Specialist refractive Optometrist, Sandeep also started working at Royal Derby Hospital. Here she was involved in cornea and cataract clinics as well as refraction. She thoroughly enjoys working within a clinical setting and utilising her skills and knowledge to provide the best possible care for her patients.
In 2018, Sandeep got married and went on a long honeymoon in Australia for two years. During this time, Sandeep and her husband, who both avidly enjoy travelling, visited many beautiful places including New Zealand, Fiji and Bali, whilst continuing with their chosen professions.
On her return to the UK in 2020, Sandeep was fortunate to have joined the new and exciting team at Albrighton Eye Clinic (AEC). She soon became a valued member of the team and progressed to the practice manager role.
Sandeep performs her professional and managerial responsibilities extremely diligently, a trait which has won the respect of the Albrighton community.
Sandeep is contracted to perform NHS and private eye examinations, contact lens appointments, MECS, myopia management, dry eye treatments and glaucoma screening.
Shortly after joining the AEC team, Sandeep successfully secured a part-time role as a Specialist hospital Optometrist at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
Here she works in the urgent eye clinic alongside doctors and consultant Ophthalmologists, dealing with emergency eye conditions.
Sandeep is an active member of the Shropshire LOC and regularly attends educational and networking events to keep her skills and knowledge up to date.
Outside of work, Sandeep enjoys spending time with her family, experiencing foods and wine from around the world, photography, outdoor wild swimming and running.
Sarah Baggott
Receptionist