Professional Services

Rest assured that you are in very capable hands with our professional team. Our staff are here to give you our full attention and every member of the team has your eye health as their major concern. We continually update our skills. Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians attend numerous continued education lectures and seminars and are routinely asked to comment and lecture at events to share their expertise. Our dispensing and technical staff also attend further education and technical seminars whenever possible.

Optometrists

Craig Wilcox

Craig graduated from the Witwatersrand School of Optometry in Johannesburg South Africa. He then completed his UK registration as well as postgraduate certification through the New England College of Optometry in the USA.

Before entering into his current comprehensive eye care practice, Craig has served as a staff Optometrist at Baragwanath teaching hospital in South Africa as well as Clinical Director of a group of optical practices spread throughout southern Africa. He was he is a faculty member at the J&J Vision Care institute, and has lectured nationally and internationally, specifically on communication and reading rehabilitation. He is a member of the British College of Optometry, British Contact Lens Association and British Association of Behavioural Optometrists.

Craig moved to Bournemouth in 1997 and started CLASSIC Eyes in 2000. He has completed the Higher Professional Certificate in Glaucoma and has an Independent Prescribing qualification.  He is currently an industry leader in the treatment of dry eye caused by Meibomian gland dysfunction. A firm believer in collecting as much information as possible to preserve patients sight and treat conditions, Craig has filled his practice with the latest technology to ensure the best possible diagnosis and continuity of care.

Michelle Wilcox

Michelle graduated from the University of Durban-Westville in 1990 with a Bachelor of optometry (B. Optom) degree. Michelle and her husband Christopher Wilcox opened their own branch of Classic Eyes in Umhlanga Rocks in 1998. Michelle completed her UK qualifying exams (MBCO) in 2002 and moved to the UK in 2017 to join Craig Wilcox at Classic Eyes in Bournemouth and Poole.

Luke Allen

Luke qualified with honours at Cardiff University in 2014. He has extensive interest in contact lenses specifically myopia management and has contributed several articles in the Optometry Today magazine relating to myopia management. Luke was runner up for ‘Young UK Contact lens practitioner’ of the year in and was shortlisted for Newly Qualified Optometrist of the year with the AOP 2018. He is currently co-opted onto the BCLA council as the BUDS ambassador. He enjoys staying up to date with the latest technology and products available through continuing education programmes and attending conferences, and is dedicated to giving his patients the best care that they can get.

Najin Hipkiss

Najin graduated from Aston University in 2001 with BSc (Hons) Optometry. Subsequently passing the professional qualifying exams in 2002, she registered with the General Optical Council & became a member of the UK College of Optometrists. She has since registered with the New Zealand Optometrists Board and completed a Postgraduate Course in Ocular Therapeutics at Auckland University (Cert.Oc.Pharm) in 2009.
She returned to the UK and joined Classic Eyes in 2011. In 2016, Najin passed the exams in Minor Eye Condition Services and the Primary Eyecare Acute Referral Scheme. Najin enjoys Contact Lens fitting, Dry Eye management and Myopia control, having completed a course in Orthokeratology in 2019.

Dispensing Opticians

Lucy Freeman

Lucy began her career in optics in 1997 and worked for a few leading multiple practices before becoming a member of the Classic Eyes team in 2001. She qualified as a Dispensing optician in 2002 and have enjoyed sharing her knowledge with the optical assistants at Classic eyes, to enable them to become more proficient in giving advice and assistance to patients. With Classic Eyes embracing innovative optical technology whenever possible, she finds the continued skills training to make her job the more interesting and enjoyable. Lucy is responsible for the high standard set in the workshop as well as the continued education and increased skills set of all the optical assistants in both practices.

Child Vision Therapist

Josie Jimmy

Josie trained at University of Poole where she achieved a degree in Education. She completed several behavioural Optometry courses and currently specialises in child vision therapy. A major part of her duties include Reading Plus® implementation, management and training.

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