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NEWS IN BRIEF
Jubilee crown hunt at independent practice Eye Care Matters in Birstall participated in a Jubilee crown hunt for children by displaying a crown in their window that was crocheted by senior receptionist, Caroline Kitchingman.
The independent optical practice in West Yorkshire took part in Jubilee celebrations organised by Birstall Primary Academy and the Birstall Chamber of Trade.
Dr Sarah Slade, optometrist and owner of Eye Care Matters, said: ‘Over half term the local children followed the trail collecting letters placed by the crowns in the windows of local businesses. Alongside our crown, we have pictures of the queen in her glasses and information about her spectacle wearing habits.’
Alongside the crown window display, Eye Care Matters showcased its range of spectacles and availability of NHS sight tests to promote eye health and eyewear for children.
The Queen is a patient at Roger Pope & Partners in Marylebone, London and has previously worn Silhouette branded frames.
The independent optical practice was granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen in 2006 and HRH Prince of Wales in 2014. In 2018, the Queen underwent successful surgery to remove a cataract.
optical teams make, and their tireless work and commitment throughout the pandemic. We hope this inspires the whole profession as we gain ever greater recognition, and continue to bring optometry to the forefront of primary care.’
MiniPAC takes hybrid approach More than 3,000 eye care professionals attended Specsavers’ Mini Professional Advancement Conferences (PAC), which took place online in April and at face-toface events.
Grant Duncan, director of professional advancement at Specsavers, said: ‘The pandemic forced us to re-imagine how to deliver quality, interactive peer discussion online, with Zoom breakout rooms and facilitators. But out of challenge came opportunity and benefits to colleagues who could learn and earn their requisite CPD points from the convenience of their clinic or living room.’
He added that the flexible approach allowed practitioners to mix virtual and in-person events at their convenience.
Specsavers’ main PAC for optics and audiology will return as a faceto-face event at the ICC in Birmingham on October 16.
Teleoptometry on the rise A literature review of the role of optometry in the delivery of eye care via telehealth has been published in Telehealth and e-Health magazine.
Authors identified 27 relevant studies, which found optometrists were commonly involved in ophthalmology-led telehealth collaborations.
A total of eight studies reported optometrists independently delivering primary eye care via telehealth and commonly included video conferencing. Authors concluded that the application of teleoptometry to deliver eye care was rapidly emerging and appeared to be a viable adjunct to the delivery of in-person optometry services.
The review said Covid-19 created opportunities for optometrists to utilise innovation in telehealth to deliver eye care to individuals who experienced access barriers.
Nick Bandy
Charmant appoints regional sales manager Charmant Group has appointed Nick Bandy as the new field sales manager for the UK, Netherlands and Flanders.
Bandy will be managing the direct sales team, strengthening customer relationships and finding new business opportunities. He has previously led and trained teams, with over 18 years of experience in the optical industry to call upon.
Bandy commented: ‘I’m delighted to be joining Charmant at such an exciting time and being part of the growth plans. We already have a strong market presence and I look forward to enhancing that further with the teams.’
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Carole Maldonado-Codina
IACLE celebrates educators University lecturers from India, the US and the UK have been recognised by the International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE).
The 2022 contact lens educators of the year were: Lavanya Kalikivayi from the Ahalia School of Optometry in Kerala, India; Dr Lindsay Sick from the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, US; and Carole Maldonado-Codina from the University of Manchester.
Professor Philip Morgan, IACLE president, said: ‘We are excited to announce this year’s Educator of the Year and Travel Awards. Receiving these accolades represents a great achievement for our winners. We are grateful to CooperVision and all IACLE sponsors for sponsoring these important awards once again.’
£3m clinic opens in Belfast Optical Express opened a £3m eye clinic and treatment centre in Belfast to provide increased healthcare services and bring the latest eye care technology to the city. MP Claire Hanna led the official launch of the clinic, which will treat patients on the NHS waiting list as well as private patients.
David Moulsdale, CEO and founder at Optical Express, said: ‘Optical Express has looked after patients’ eye care in Belfast for over 30 years and this new treatment clinic is an exciting next step for us in the city. We want to play our part in supporting the city’s recovery from the pandemic, through investment in a new clinic and new jobs, as well as helping to reduce the backlog for ophthalmic care on the NHS.’
10 June 2022 OPTICIAN 5
