Here’s the latest news headlines. Click on each story tag for the full story

Government Sets Measure of Eye Health

Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Improving outcomes and supporting transparency, published this week, sets the national public health priorities for England and includes a measure of eye health. The indicator will measure... Government sets measure of Eye Health

College Accredits New Higher Qualifications

Following the launch of the College of Optometrists’ Higher Qualifications Framework and learning outcomes for the Glaucoma Certificate and Higher Certificate, the College is pleased to announce... College higher qualifications

All Change at Norville Opticians

Barry Stygall has been with Norville Opticians for more than 30 years and has managed its Thornbury practice for around half of them... All change at Norville Opticians

Mee Healthcare Heartened by Response

Mee Healthcare Centres report receiving an unprecedented number applications for the future roll out locations (a three figure response) from optometrists, dispensing opticians and optical assistants... Mee Healthcare recruitment

Connection Between Learning Disability and Visual Impairment

Emerson and Robertson presented two sets of estimates in their report, those based on the estimated population of adults with LD known to the statutory services, and a higher estimate of all people with learning disabilities... Research points to connection

BCLA Announces Spring Workshops

The British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) has announced its spring CET workshops line-up – each worth four contact lens CET points for contact lens opticians, dispensing opticians and optometrists... BCLA announces Spring workshops

Mee Healthcare to Open Health Centres Including Optical Dimension

News broke this week of a new entrant on the primary care landscape, including an optical dimension. The company, Mee Healthcare plans to open in locations with proven footfall... mee Healthcare

BCLA Announce Loyalty Bonus for Members

The 36th BCLA Clinical Conference and Exhibition will take place at the ICC Birmingham from 24-27 May 2012. This is NOT... BCLA announce loyalty bonus for members

GOC Retention Underway for 2012/13

Optometrists, dispensing opticians and optical businesses can now renew their GOC registration for 2012/13. The retention fee for 2012/13 has been reduced... GOC retention

Concern Over Ready-made Specs

The results of research commissioned by the College of Optometrists shows that many ready-made spectacles are not of appropriate quality to match the advertising... College research shows cause for concern

LOCSU Announces NOC 2012 Date

Following the success of NOC 2011, the major conference for all Local and Regional Optical Committees, LOCSU and the Optical Confederation are pleased to announce that the NOC 2012 will be held... NOC 2012 date announced

EyeDream Open Day

Wilson, Wilson & Hancock, of Hastings held the first ever EyeDream Open Day to promote the newly rebranded No7 Ortho K programme – EyeDream... EyeDream Open Day

Coleman Opticians Win Award

Coleman Opticians was named the overall best-performing practice for 2011 and will join Rodenstock in Florence in March... Coleman Opticians win Rodenstock award

Tom Davies Workshop Visit

TD Tom Davies, the award-winning British bespoke spectacle brand, announce the second trip to their Shenzhen bespoke workshops, scheduled for April 2012... TD Tom Davies 2012 workshop visit

College Seeks Chairman

The College of Optometrists is seeking a new Chairman, following agreement by the College’s Board that the role of Chairman should be separated from... College seeks Chairman of Trustees

iPhone App for Optometric Quarterly

The DOCET OQ app is free and enables optometrists who use an iPhone to listen to the latest editions of the long-running “Optometric Quarterly” (OQ) audio programme tracks, view track information, complete the related... New iPhone app for DOCET

Eye Health Warnings Mount

Over half of the 2 million people suffering from a loss of sight could have prevented it by visiting an eye care specialist. It could be just a lack of knowledge on the importance... Frequency of warnings on eye health mounts

Vision Sector Rallies to Improve Eye Health

UK Vision Strategy (whose members include the College of Optometrists and the Optical Confederation) has been arguing hard for the inclusion of an ophthalmic public health indicator... Vision sector rallies to improve eye health

EU Approval Given to Femtosecond

A new femtosecond laser system that provides a single platform to perform a wide variety of surgical eye procedures has received CE mark approval for sale in the European Union... Femtosecond

Concerns Over Changes to GOS Payments

The concern for GPs should also make Optometry sit up and listen to the debate as most LMCs are sceptical about the results so far, very concerned about loss of confidentiality and indeed... Is SBS good for GOS services?

Optometry Event at Royal Society of Medicine

The 4 lectures during the afternoon will include speakers from ophthalmology and optometry on diverse subjects to include AMD, Glaucoma/OHT and NICE guidelines, Chronic eye conditions including dry eye, and finally... RSM event for your diaries

Quality in Optometry Toolkit Updated

General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) Contractors and Performers are set to benefit from a new updated and revised version of the Quality in Optometry (QiO) Toolkit... Quality in Optometry Toolkit

LOCSU Funds PEARS Training

The distance learning programme developed for LOCSU by the Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Centre (WOPEC) is based on training already provided... PEARS training

Fitness to Practise Guidelines

The General Optical Council (GOC) is today launching guidance targeted at optical employers, to explain what they should do if they have concerns about a GOC registrant’s fitness to practise... GOC publishes guidelines for employers

Pioneers Conference "The Best Ever"

A total of 250 members of British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) earned up to four contact lens CET points each at the Association’s 8th Pioneers Conference... Pioneers Conference

Training Day for LOC Treasurers

LOCSU says the Treasurers’ Training Day aims to be a hands-on practical day to help Treasurers, whether new in post or more experienced, iron out any difficulties or confusion in the... training date for treasurers

GOC Cuts Registration Fee

The General Optical Council (GOC) has announced that it is cutting registration fees for the second year running. This means that the regulator’s fees... GOC cuts registration fee for second year

Norville Media Prize Awarded

The 2010 Frank Norville Media Prize awarded for the most interesting new contributor to optical journal articles was presented to David Baker... Frank Norville media prize awarded

US FDA Approves Wet AMD Drug

Perhaps a measure of how fast drug technology is moving in vision and how much faster the FDA appear to accept new innovation compared to our NICE, news from the States... US FDA approves new wet AMD drug

Cult Eyewear

Cult Eyewear places developments within the industry since the 1950s within their wider historical context and documents the emergence of “lifestyle dispensing” plus features on... Cult eyewear with Neil Handley

Norville Present BOA Museum with Polaroid Designs

Norville Eyewear have presented the British Optical Association Museum Curator Neil Handley with a complete set of Polaroid... Norville present BOA museum

GOC Annual Report

The report reviews the GOC’s work and achievements over a year of modernisation from April 2010 to March 2011. This includes work the Council has done to enhance its registration systems allowing... GOC Annual Report

BCLA Announce Olympic Theme

To be held at the ICC Birmingham from 24 to 27 May 2012, the BCLA Clinical Conference and Exhibition will once again feature the very best... BCLA announce Olympic theme for 2012 Conference

Events Help Learning Disabled

People with a learning disability are 10 times more likely to have serious eye problems than the rest of the population, and the Charity is on a mission to raise awareness of this and to enable more people to access the right support... Look Here events provide help to those with Learning Disabilities

Optical Express Reminds Public

Following the October 2011 publication of WHO figures revealing the high levels of avoidable visual impairment, one of the UK's leading eye care experts is driving home the message about how important... Optical Express reminds public of importance of eye checks

BCLA Bionic Lens Press Statement

This early trial has excited many journals and newspapers around the world from its publication in the Journal of Micromechanics and Micro-engineering, and has provoked a number of questions to the BCLA... BCLA makes statement

Bionic Single Pixel Lens Could be Lens of Future

Its been called the Terminator Lens by some newspapers but a wireless embedded transmitter on a contact lens has finally been achieved... Bionic single pixel lens

Bob Hughes Has Left the AOP

PHN has learnt that Bob Hughes has left the AOP. Richard Carswell, Deputy Chief Executive and until recently, acting Head of LOCSU, will head up the AOP... Bob Hughes has left the AOP

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