PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
‘Become part of the family’ – new BCLA President opens arms to a new generation of eye care experts

The new President of the BCLA has issued a rallying call to members, urging them to ‘shout from the rooftops’ and encourage an exciting new generation of contact lens practitioners to reap the rewards of joining the organisation.
Jonathon Bench, head of professional affairs at Alcon, was officially unveiled as BCLA President at an awards dinner and masquerade ball held as part of the organisation’s Clinical Conference and Exhibition in Manchester.
He takes over from Professor Sunil Shah and will oversee the next stage of a campaign to raise the BCLA’s profile both in the UK and around the world, with a focus on encouraging a more diverse, younger membership.
He said: “It’s an absolute honour and privilege to be President of the BCLA, an organisation that has meant so much to me for so long. I am enthused and passionate about contact lenses and the ocular surface and that’s what the organisation stands for.
“Over the next year we have to face up to the fact that we will be changing, we will be evolving and we’re going to be adapting.
“It’s an exciting time and we need everybody who’s part of the BCLA to raise their voices, share their thoughts and let people know why the BCLA is so important to them so we can encourage so many more people become part of our big family.”
The BCLA Clinical Conference and Exhibition saw hundreds of delegates attend over the course of the three days in Manchester, with dozens of countries from around the world represented, making it a truly international affair.
Combining that worldwide appeal with an updated technology-focused offering for a highly-engaged generation of newly-qualified eye care professionals will be core to Jonathon’s remit for the 12 months ahead.
It was announced during the conference that a new BCLA certificate in myopia management will be launched later this year, adding to the existing dry eye certificate that has proved popular in the past year.
Jonathon added: “It's hugely encouraging to see a number of highly-skilled young contact lens practitioners making their way into the profession. They are vital for the future of the nation's eye health and the standard of the entries into the BCLA Awards proved that patients are in safe hands for many years to come.
"We were delighted to name Eleanor Hill as the winner of the 2019 BCLA Young Contact Lens Practitioner of the Year and Dr Saleel Jivraj as Dry Eye Practitioner of the Year. Hardworking and ambitious people such as Eleanor and Saleel can become the next generation of pioneers, innovators and thought leaders in a profession that is always evolving, always adapting and always learning."

Jonathon takes over from Professor Sunil Shah in the role of BCLA President and thanked his predecessor for his work in uniting the worlds of optometry and ophthalmology during his tenure.

He added: “The BCLA is a truly multi-disciplinary organisation, with a focus not just on contact lenses but also the anterior eye and ocular surface. Sunil has worked to bring optometry and ophthalmology closer together and it’s through collaborative ways of working that we can continue to truly make a difference to patients’ lives.”

For more information visit www.bcla.org.uk
Notes to editors
• For interviews, call Daniel Owens from Orange Juice Communications on 07909 916668 or email [email protected].