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2 weeks ago | 
aop.org.uk | Selina Powell
Optometrists and dispensing opticians will celebrate one of the most important days in the Sikh calendar next week. Within India, Vaisakhi is a spring harvest festival that recognises the first day of the month of Vaisakh, which falls around mid-April every year. For Sikhs, Vaisakhi has a deeper spiritual significance - commemorating the formation of the khalsa [initiated Sikhs] in 1699.
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2 weeks ago | 
aop.org.uk | Selina Powell
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3 weeks ago | 
aop.org.uk | Laurence Derbyshire |Selina Powell
A commitment to equitable eye care access has seen a Coatbridge independent optometry practice provide a domiciliary service to the surrounding community. Tuite Opticians Coatbridge principal optometrist, Stephen Kirley, spoke to OT for The Older people edition, which focused on exploring the role of optometry in supporting the ageing population. "We have an ethos within the practice that everybody has a fundamental right to sight.
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3 weeks ago | 
aop.org.uk | Selina Powell
A Monmouthshire practice that provides the same warm welcome you might receive stepping into someone's living room featured in 's April/May cover story photoshoot. "I'd say it's definitely more of a social occasion coming here," dispensing optician and practice director, Francesca Fulgoni, told OT. "It's not like going to the dentist or the doctors where you sit there in silence," she said.
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3 weeks ago | 
aop.org.uk | Selina Powell
On a clear summer morning in 2021, Jim Tassell was cycling down a straight road between Andover and the village of Hurstbourne Priors. A vehicle driving in the same direction collided with the 70-year-old cyclist, resulting in injuries that Tassell would die from five days later. Since then, the milestones that Tassell should have witnessed have accumulated in his absence - birthdays and Christmas days, his granddaughter beginning secondary school and his grandson starting his first job.
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3 weeks ago | 
aop.org.uk | Selina Powell
When around 400 Ukrainian refugees came to settle in North Lanarkshire in 2022, Eamonn Tuite turned to the internet to translate a sign into Ukrainian. Alongside the message explaining services on offer at his Coatbridge practice, the owner of Tuite Opticians attended a welcome meeting for the town's newest residents. The dispensing optician explained to OT that when his mother, Mary Jo Tuite, founded the business in 1972, she wanted the practice to serve every member of the community.
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3 weeks ago | 
aop.org.uk | Laurence Derbyshire |Selina Powell
Optometrist and past AOP chairman, Professor Julie-Anne Little, has outlined how optometrists can help to keep UK roads safe by discussing the visual standards for driving with patients. Little shared with OT that most of the time, it is a patient's decision whether they wear vision correction or not.
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3 weeks ago | 
aop.org.uk | Selina Powell
The General Optical Council (GOC) has published its corporate strategy for 2025-2030. A statement from the optical regulator highlighted that the strategy focuses on three strategic objectives: creating fairer and more inclusive eye care services, supporting responsible innovation and protecting the public, and preventing harm through agile regulation.
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3 weeks ago | 
aop.org.uk | Selina Powell
General Optical Council (GOC) head of fitness to practise, Kayleigh Allen, and Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS) professional adviser, Richard Edwards, shared their top tips to avoid a professional conduct investigation at 100% Optical. Allen highlighted that in 2019 the General Optical Council introduced acceptance criteria, which sets out when the GOC should open an investigation. Following the introduction of this criteria, the number of cases opened by the GOC steadily dropped.
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1 month ago | 
aop.org.uk | Selina Powell
The General Optical Council (GOC) is encouraging optometrists, dispensing opticians and optical students to share their perspectives through the 2025 Workforce and Perceptions Survey. This year's survey will explore a range of issues within the optical workforce, including job satisfaction, working conditions, and registrant views of the GOC. New questions this year will seek feedback on registration fees, testing times and commercial pressures.
