Macular Society appoints new Chair of Trustees

The Macular Society is delighted to announce the appointment of its new Chair of Trustees who will take up the role in September.

David Bennett will take over from current chair Cecilia Bufton, whose six-year term comes to an end this summer.

David brings decades of experience across healthcare, logistics, strategy and charity leadership to his new role with the Macular Society, alongside a drive to Beat Macular Disease, which he called an “almost hidden disease”.

He believes one of the biggest challenges facing the organisation is public awareness and he is excited to help raise the profile of macular disease, as well as the Society, and use his experience to address the challenges facing eye care.

A hidden disease 

He said: “The extent of the suffering, the number of people it affects, it’s
something that’s just generally not visible in the broader community.”

David is passionate about supporting as many people with macular disease as possible. “We have to extend our reach,” he said.

“We have to be able to provide access to care and access to services to a larger population of disease sufferers and carers. But, at the same time, we have to balance that with our wish to support and fund relevant research programmes as well.” 

After graduating with a chemistry degree from University of Southampton, David began his career in operations consulting and line management before spending several years abroad. Upon returning to the UK, he became very interested in the delivery of healthcare and took up roles on the boards of large hospitals in the UK, a regional integrated care board, the Royal College of GPs, the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management and a hospice.

The challenges 

David’s professional and volunteer experience has exposed him to the challenges facing the sight loss sector and the existing capacity issues within the NHS. It was while serving on the board at Bournemouth Hospital that he first became aware of the huge challenges surrounding eye care, specifically for age-related macular degeneration.  

He is passionate about improving care for patients, including facing the ongoing challenges of access to treatment, but he is also interested in disease prevention to reduce pressure on health services in the first place.

He said: “We have very much a curative focus to our healthcare system. So, in other words, we don't do prevention very well. We build up demand. One of the things I've been interested in for some time is how we can try and switch to prevent some of these conditions so that we actually can reduce that demand.” 

The need for more research funding

David has a keen interest in funding research and highlighted the challenges the Macular Society faced in raising funds to support the research needed. He also hopes to help strengthen networks, build partnerships and bring in greater support for both frontline services and research.

Alongside his role with the Macular Society, David also chairs the University Hospital Southampton International Development Centre, which supports innovation within the NHS, as well as UHS Estates Ltd and the YMCA in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Reflecting on his motivation to take on the role, David added: “I simply want to do whatever I can do to support and help the community that we serve.”

Welcoming a new Chair 

Chief executive Ed Holloway, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Dave as Chair of the Macular Society. His experience in healthcare, business and the charity sector, along with his passion for improving patient care will be invaluable as we continue in our mission to Beat Macular Disease.   

“Dave brings a wealth of experience and is all too familiar with the challenges facing healthcare, from the increasing demand to the need for more investment in prevention and eye research.

“As we work towards a future where no one has to face macular disease alone we look forward to working with Dave to expand our reach, support more people living with sight loss and fund the groundbreaking research that will ultimately lead us to a cure.

“We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our existing chair Cecilia Bufton. Cecilia took on the role in September 2020 and has continued to support the growth of the organisation during this time. We are grateful for her dedication and leadership and wish her all the very best for the future.”