Hammond and Dummer named Myopia Management Practice of the Year 2025

At Myopia Focus, our aim is to raise awareness of myopia management and help parents find specialists who can guide them through what can feel like a complex and worrying diagnosis. For that reason, it feels important to recognise practices that are helping to raise standards of care and awareness in this growing area of eye health.

At the end of last year, Hammond and Dummer Bespoke Opticians, based in Milton Keynes, were crowned Myopia Management Practice of the Year 2025 at the prestigious Optician Awards. For the team, the award was less about celebration and more about reflection on how far myopia care has come, and how essential it has become for families.

A personal journey into myopia management

Claire Ranger, Owner and Principal Optometrist, Hammond and Dummer

For Claire Ranger, Owner and Principal Optometrist at Hammond and Dummer, myopia management is not just a professional interest, it is deeply personal.

Claire was myopic and wearing “specs at only 7years old”, before going on to where contact lenses at 14. This experience, ultimately led her to pursue her career in Optometry, but also meant that she ended up being -12.00.

“When my daughter Hannah started to become short-sighted, I realised very quickly that simply updating her glasses year after year didn’t feel like enough,” Claire explains. “I wanted to understand what was really happening to her eyes, what the long-term risks might be, and whether there was anything we could do to slow things down.”

At a time when myopia management was far less widely discussed or offered, Claire began exploring the emerging evidence around treatments designed to slow myopia progression.

Hannah became Claire’s first orthokeratology (Ortho-K) patient, wearing specially designed night lenses to correct her vision and help reduce the speed at which her myopia progressed.

“That experience changed how I thought about childhood myopia entirely,” Claire reflects. “It shifted my focus from simply correcting vision to actively protecting long-term eye health.”

That journey would go on to shape Hammond and Dummer’s approach to paediatric eye care and led them to become the first practice in Milton Keynes to offer dedicated myopia management.

A considered approach, not a one-size-fits-all solution

Today, Hammond and Dummer offer a range of evidence-based myopia management options, recognising that every child’s eyes, lifestyle and family circumstances are different. These include:

• Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) night lenses

• Soft contact lenses designed specifically for myopia control

• Specialist spectacle lenses designed to slow myopia progression

  
  

Rather than focusing on a single treatment, the emphasis is on careful assessment, explanation and shared decision-making with families.

Parents are supported to understand what myopia is, how it may change over time, and what different management options can realistically achieve, including their benefits and limitations.

“For us, myopia management isn’t about pushing a particular treatment,” says Claire. “It’s about listening to families, understanding their concerns, and helping them make informed decisions that feel right for their child. The award felt like recognition of that approach, and of the whole team’s commitment to doing this properly.”

“I felt incredibly proud, not just personally, but for my team"

Recognition that reflects changing priorities in eye care

For Claire, receiving Myopia Management Practice of the Year 2025 was both humbling and affirming.

“I felt incredibly proud, not just personally, but for my team,” she says. “This award recognises how important myopia management has become in everyday practice. More importantly, it reflects the trust families place in us when they’re worried about their child’s eyesight. That responsibility is something we take very seriously.”

The award also highlights a broader shift in optometry. Childhood myopia is increasing, prescriptions are changing earlier and faster, and parents are increasingly asking what more can be done beyond glasses alone.

One parent describing their experience at Hammond and Dummer said:

“Claire is very knowledgeable, professionally and friendly. My son feels so comfortable with Claire and his Ortho-K lenses have increased his confidence. Thank you so much.”

Why myopia management matters now

As awareness of childhood myopia grows, so does the need for clear, evidence-based guidance. Seeking out a specialist practice in myopia management can help parents move beyond confusion or conflicting information and access advice tailored to their child.

Alongside her clinical work, Claire is also a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, contributing to the education of future optometrists and helping ensure myopia management continues to develop responsibly and ethically.

Recognition such as this award is not just about one practice. It reflects a wider understanding that myopia management is becoming an essential part of modern eye care, and that families deserve informed, thoughtful support when navigating their child’s visual development.

If you are concerned about your child’s eyesight or would like to understand whether myopia management may be appropriate, speaking to a qualified optometrist with experience in this area is an important first step.