An independent view

Vision Aid Overseas

Vision Aid Overseas (VAO) is hoping to raise £50,000 in its Christmas appeal this year, to help people living in poverty access affordable glasses and eyecare. The charity is asking the public, profession and industry to put themselves in the shoes of people such as Onanta, a secondary school student from Zambia who the charity has helped this year. When Onanta, who hopes to train as a nurse, began experiencing headaches and Helping people like Onanta struggling to read the blackboard at school receive the eyecare they need she was able to have her vision screened by a teacher who VAO trained. The teacher referred her to a visiting eye health team and she was provided with the glasses she needed.

Onanta said: “When I received my glasses, I was able to see clearly. I don’t experience the headaches anymore. This helps me not only to perform well in class, but also to prepare for my grade 12 final exams without difficulties.” In the last year, VAO has screened 181,923 people for eye diseases, provided more than 15,000 people with a pair of glasses, and provided training to 330 professional health workers. To help the charity continue with this work, donate at www.visionaidoverseas.org

RNIB

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme, the organisation behind the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme, has launched a new range of wearable items that it hopes will help people who struggle to social distance. The products, which include face coverings, badges, snoods and lanyards saying, ‘Please give me space’, were created by Hidden Disabilities in collaboration with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the Cabinet Office.

Sunflower Scheme expanded

Research by the RNIB found that 70 per cent of disabled people felt that it was difficult to social distance, with a small number reporting being confronted by other members of the public for being unable to keep a distance. More than 80 per cent felt that a social distance indicator would help others understand that they needed space and provide them with more confidence when in public areas. Businesses are being asked to adopt ‘Please give me space’ and use free staff training and campaign assets to increase recognition and understanding of the scheme. Find out more at

pleasegivemespace.uk

College of Optometrists

The College of Optometrists has appointed Dr Paramdeep Bilkhu as a clinical adviser following the departure of Dr Susan Blakeney, who fulfilled the role for 19 years. Paramdeep will join Daniel Hardiman-McCartney in the role, answering College members’ queries and providing clinical, professional and ethical support. Currently a research and teaching fellow at Aston University, Paramdeep is an independent prescriber and is keen to enhance the roles of optometrists in delivering clinical and therapeutic care.

AN INDEPENDENT VIEW

Shaping the future of optometry

The General Optical Council’s (GOC) Education Strategic Review seems to be taking an age, but perhaps that’s because it is not easy and there are a lot of different views on what the outcome should be.

For the AIO, some of the key issues are: that there must be no ‘dumbing down’ of the profession; that there must be a high level of consistency of newly qualified optometrists; and that optometrists should be able to move seamlessly from job to job and sector to sector.

It is also important that there is recognition that the range of clinical services that optometrists deliver is continuing to expand as the profession takes an ever greater role in providing primary eye health care.

We understand the arguments for encouraging more people into the profession and for moving to an ‘outcomes focused’ regime, but it is our view that we need to be careful not to abandon those aspects of the current regime that serve the profession well.

There is no need for an upheaval for the sake of it, and optometry could learn from the approach taken in other parts of the medical profession. There is no need to reinvent wheels.

The November Council meeting of the GOC came to the conclusion that the GOC’s Expert Advisory Groups (to which the AIO was refused membership) should ‘review and refine’ the proposals presented to it. In other words, there needs to be more recognition of the feedback to the consultation in the proposals being brought forward. This is a step in the right direction.

On a more positive note, the move from the current CET regime to a more ‘adult’ based CPD approach to professional development is very much welcomed.

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