About the Practice
When you become a patient of this practice the health of your eyes is our first concern. Our second concern is to provide you with the best possible visual performance for all your lifestyle needs. To this end, this practice will provide you with the latest techniques and equipment to examine your eyes and to safeguard your sight together with the latest contact lens materials and the most exciting spectacle fashions with the thinnest, lightest spectacle lenses in the world.
Mr Burnett Hodd comes from a long tradition of optometry. His grandfather George William Hodd opened his first practice in 1912 at 90 Moorgate with his partner Mr Burnett. Since then all children born into the family are given the name Burnett as a middle name.
Fredrick Burnett Hodd
The specialist contact lens practice at 7 Devonshire St was opened in 1955 by Mr Burnett Hodd's father Frederick. His aim was to offer high quality eye examinations using the latest optometric equipment to check the health of your eyes and to offer world class expertise on contact lenses.
Frederick Burnett Hodd MBE was a contact lens pioneer, he was one of the first to see the potential for contact lenses. His specialist interest was in fitting difficult cases and he also designed lenses, for example the Hodd Tapered lens. Lenses could be made in the laboratory in the basement. He was also president of the British Optical Association from 1968-69 and 1977-78 and was given honorary life membership.
Nigel Burnett Hodd
Mr Nigel Burnett Hodd joined the practice in 1973 and Frederick retired a year later.
Nigel has continued the practice's specialist contact lens status. He has the Diploma of Contact Lens Practice from the College of Optometrists and has been president of the British Contact Lens Association. He recently received honorary life membership of the BCLA in recognition of his significant contribution to the Association. He has also expanded the practice in other directions with the introduction of the latest technology in eye exams, dyslexia assessments, and myopia prevention. The contact lens laboratory that used to be in the basement has become No 7 Contact Lens Laboratory, now based in Hastings a leading supplier of RGP contact lenses in Britain.
Working with Mr Burnett Hodd are Sophie Taylor-West and Dr Caroline Burnett Hodd.
Sophie Taylor-West
Sophie Taylor-West graduated from Cardiff University with a first in Optometry. She won the prize for ophthalmic drugs at her professional exams and then spent three years in practice before setting her sights on Devonshire Street's specialist contact lens practice. She has been instrumental in the introduction of SoClear and Synergeyes lenses in the UK and is now the UK's expert in how to fit them. She has spoken at National and International conferences and also works in the contact lens clinic at the prestigious Moorfields Eye Hospital on Friday mornings.
Caroline Burnett Hodd
Dr Caroline Burnett Hodd, Nigel's daughter joined the practice three years ago making her the fourth generation of Hodd optometrists. Caroline graduated from City University with a first in Optometry, winning three third year prizes. She subsequently trained in London, Croydon and Sidcup before specialising in contact lenses at Devonshire St. Previously she obtained a first class degree and a PhD in Physics from the University of London, taught Maths and Science for three years in inner London comprehensives before completing a Masters in Neuroscience (with Distinction) at Imperial College London. During her Masters whilst specialising in the neuroscience of vision she realised that she had an interest in optometry and changed careers. She is very proud to be another Hodd in optometry. Caroline lectures both nationally and internationally and also works for No7 Contact Lenses where she delivers their training program. She also works in Hospital Practice at Croydon University Hospital where she runs their contact lens service.
Our practice is also a leading fashion centre for modern eyewear. Our Dispensing Opticians, MS YVONNE SANDER, MISS DAUN CUTHBERTSON and MR JOVI MENDOZA run our modern dispensing suite.
We take the opportunity to attend, either as delegates or speakers, many of the most important international conferences. In this way, we ensure that our knowledge is up to date and, because this practice is one of the foremost in the country, new products and materials are frequently made available to us before they are generally available. We seek out the best possible products for our patients from all over the world.