WHY CHOOSE AN INDEPENDENT PRACTICE?
Our Independent Practitioners are highly qualified, skilled professionals, with your best interests at heart. They benefit from years of training and experience, designed to take care of your eyes. They will take time to understand you and your lifestyle and make the best recommendations to suit your needs.
As an independent practice we are able to choose from a wide range of manufacturers to find the best spectacles and contact lenses for you.
We strongly believe in continuity of care. We are proud to have been looking after the eyecare needs of our many long term existing patients and look forward to looking after your eyes for many years to come.
The Team
Divia Gudka
Practice Manager
Divia’s role completely changed after Chetan and Divia bought the practice. She is a qualified accountant having been self-employed for many years and then moving to a senior role at a local hospice for 2 years. Since then having purchased the practice she is now the Practice Manager and looking forward to getting to know the patients.
Divia lives locally and enjoys exploring the Chilterns, travelling abroad and gardening.
Chetan Gudka
BSc (Hons) MCOptom
Chetan graduated from Aston University in 1989. Since then he has worked in a variety of locations and joined our practice in May 2015. He enjoys working in the field of contact lenses, children’s eyecare and oculomotor instability examination.
Outside of work he likes travelling within the UK and abroad, gardening and cooking.
Bernadette Waters
Bsc (Hons) MCOptom
Sujiththa Shankar BSc(Hons) MCOptom
Sujiththa graduated from Aston university in 2010 with first class honours. She has worked for 12 years in practice in North West London before joining the team at Brian Suttie Chesham in June 2022. She has also completed professional examination in glaucoma during her maternity leave.
She enjoys listening to audiobooks and podcasts and has a keen interest in yoga and Pilates. When Sujiththa is not working she likes to spend time with her young children.
Barbara Pawleczuk
Barbara joined Brian Suttie Opticians in June 2026. She has over 15 years of experience in the optical profession, having worked in both independent practices and optical chains. She holds a Foundation Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing from Anglia Ruskin University and has a background in Optical Engineering, combining strong technical knowledge with a genuine passion for patient care.
In her free time, Barbara enjoys keeping active at the gym, cycling with her son and husband and paddleboarding in summer season.
She is delighted to be joining the Brian Suttie Opticians team and is looking forward to welcoming patients in Chesham.
Diane Torrance
Diane is our optical assistant and joined the team in May 2022. She has been in the optics for 18 years, having worked at various multiples. Diane enjoys her work, helping people have the best out of their visit to the practice. She looks forward to many more years and eyes to come.
Diane is originally from Inverness, she has 3 children and enjoys spending time with her extended family. She is a confessed foodie and also enjoys the gym and watching movies.
Robyn McCarthy
Robyn has recently finished her A-Levels and is considering a practical career. Hobbies include watching cycling and motorsports as well as doing indoor climbing.
Gill Merrell
Prior to joining Brian Suttie in 2018 Gill has worked for British Airways and then in Education. Gill would very much consider herself a people person and strives to ensure our patients are happy and satisfied with the professional service they receive when visiting the practice.
Outside of work, having lived locally for over 30 years, Gill enjoys walking her pet Cockapoo; travelling and relaxing with a good book.
Johanna Free
Johanna graduated from Winchester School of Art in 1985 with a BA (Hons) in Printed Textiles & Fashion. She has a retail background in a well-known London store selling scarves, fabrics and managing the jewellery department. She joined Brian Suttie in 2015.
Her interests are visiting archaeological sites, walking and travelling to unusual destinations.