Northampton optometrists celebrating after landing national awards double

A Northampton optometrists is celebrating a “dream double” having landed two sought-after titles at a leading industry awards ceremony.

Tompkins Knight & Son Optometrists, based in Kingsley Road, Northampton was named the Contact Lens Practice of the Year at the Hakim Group Awards, while Dr Keyur Patel won the coveted Contact Lens Practitioner of the Year category.

With a reputation for innovation and cutting-edge eye care, TK&S is widely recognised as one of the leading practices in the UK – with the latest awards adding to a clutch of honours received in recent years.

Director Brian Tompkins said: “We’re thrilled to have been rewarded for our commitment to contact lenses, which we very much see as a ‘cradle-to-grave’ solution for eye health. We pride on ourselves on finding a lens to suit anyone we see, no matter what their condition.

“We are passionate about making the most of all the opportunities available to our patients thanks to 21st century advances in technology. We are trailblazers, we are pioneers and we are always looking for new ways of making a life-changing impact on our patients’ eye health.”

TK&S was originally formed in 1868 by Alfred Knight who teamed up with his watchmaker father James to open Knight & Son, a jewellers and optometrists, in Mercers Row in Northampton.

The business remained in the family for several generations, with Monty Knight, Alfred’s grandson, teaming up with Mr Tompkins, a former president of the British Contact Lens Association, in 1980 to form TK&S.

In 1994 the practice moved to its current home in Kingsley Road. The painstakingly-restored Victorian townhouse is itself enshrined in local history, formerly being the family home of renowned Northampton shoemaker GT Hawkins.

Dr Patel said: “This award is about much more than just me, it’s for everything we do as a practice. It is a team effort and we leave no stone unturned when it comes to our patients’ eye health.

“To win both of these awards is a fantastic achievement, it’s a dream double really and to have been recognised by our peers for the work we do makes it even more special.”