Meet the LOCSU Board: “Accidental Optometrist” Bobby Fida Champions the Power of Collaboration

28 February 2025

 

It’s fitting that LOCSU’s newest board director, Bobby Fida, became an optometrist as the result of a chance conversation. As a firm believer in the power and potential of collaboration, it was talking to a fellow student that resulted in her changing course, from Law to Optometry, and embarking on a fulfilling professional career with a strong focus on multidisciplinary working.

“Having decided on a law degree at Sheffield, Optometry suddenly seemed the perfect way to marry my science A-levels with a clinical and professional vocation,” says Bobby. “So after a year of studying law, I switched to Optometry at Bradford and never looked back!”

During her pre-reg year at Leeds Teaching Hospital, Bobby identified the value of learning from her peers, more experienced colleagues, and career entrants. She was determined to make multidisciplinary work part of her career approach: “I committed to continue working across different areas of the sector […] I spent a couple of years post-qualifying working as a part-time resident for Specsavers and working at the hospital. After becoming a resident at Asda Opticians, I also supervised final-year optometry clinics at Bradford and maintained one or two days a week to work elsewhere, either at an independent or at HMP in Wakefield.”

Championing Collaboration

It is this broad experience, together with longstanding Wakefield LOC membership and her current role as Principal Optometrist at Newmedica, leading on the design and implementation of continuing professional development programmes, that prompts Bobby’s understanding that the sector needs: “Collaboration – lots more of it! There are often identical conversations happening in different rooms and at different tables. We need to listen to each other and work together rather than in silos.”

This formed part of Bobby’s motivation to apply for the LOCSU Board position, as she explains: “I am driven by a commitment to clear communication, strategic foresight, and continuous improvement. The Board vacancy presented an opportunity to apply my experience and skills in bringing forward views and knowledge gained from LOCs in England to inform Board discussions and decisions.”

Bobby previously worked as a LOCSU Advancement Lead, from 2021 to 2024, to broaden her breadth of experience outside a clinical setting and help influence optometry’s voice across the NHS landscape. She also recognises the importance of fostering public confidence in optometry, something she supports through her position as a Registrant Hearings Panel member for the General Optical Council’s Fitness to Practise Committee, where she is committed to upholding high standards within the profession through robust governance and independent decision-making.

Nurturing Personal Connections

It is clear that Bobby is a real people person who places significant value on personal relationships.  She describes family and friends as “essential” to achieving a break from her busy work life and enjoys checking in with her parents and visiting her London-based daughter. Walking outdoors is a favourite pastime, often in the company of friends and with a “compulsory café stop” along the way. From a fitness perspective, Bobby opts for weekly Pilates and strength training sessions, which she balances with a passion for baking for family and friends.

The personal touch is evident in Bobby’s approach to work, too, especially when it comes to fostering patient relationships. The best piece of advice she has ever received is: “Don’t look at your watch! Focus on addressing a patient’s needs rather than trying to keep within the clinic time. It has meant that I’ve always valued each and every patient, and patients value the attention and care they receive.”

Personal connections are also at the heart of Bobby’s inspirations, whether it is the clinical experts she worked with during her pre-reg year who “inspired me to maintain high standards throughout my career” or the “inspirational women” she has learned from through incorporating their skills and leadership qualities into her own leadership style. Ultimately, though, it’s the women in her family – her mum and daughter – alongside her friends, who inspire her every day.

Welcome to the LOCSU Board, Bobby!