Search results for 2026

Bookings for Optometry Tomorrow 2026 are filling fast, with many popular sessions already close to capacity. Now is the time to secure your place.

Clinical files: What advice would you give a patient who has purchased their contact lenses online and would like help to learn how to insert and remove them.

Eye care professionals are encouraged to secure their place at Optometry Tomorrow 2026 before the early bird discount closes on 17 April.

Clinical files: "A patient has presented with bilateral bacterial conjunctivitis; as an IP optometrist, should I prescribe a topical antibiotic treatment in the first instance, and would the approach to treatment differ in contact lens wearers?"

ABDO, Boots Opticians, the College and Specsavers have all come together to provide CPD to enable you to build your confidence in working with children in your practice.

Clinical files: Can I sell topical chloramphenicol eye drops as prophylaxis?

The College of Optometrists and the Association of Optometrists (AOP) have submitted a joint response to the Department for Transport consultation on introducing mandatory sight tests for older drivers.

Clinical files: I'm not sure if my practice can accommodate someone in a wheelchair. What should I do?

The College of Optometrists has been awarded a Silver TIDE award as part of Onvero’s Talent Inclusion and Diversity Evaluation benchmarking programme.

Clinical files: “I performed a sight test on a patient, and at the end I realised that they had recorded the whole encounter without my permission. Can I ask them to delete it?” 

Dr David Elliott FCOptom has been named the 2026 recipient of the President’s Research Medal, The College of Optometrists’ most prestigious research award.

Clinical files: Can I use an AI Large Language Model (LLM), such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude, to help draft referral letters, translate clinical advice and support diagnosis?

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of irreversible sight loss in the UK and affects over one million people, which is predicted to rise by 100,000 cases to 1.145 million people by 2030*.

Clinical files: What advice would you give a patient using GLP-1s for weight loss who is concerned about the risks to their vision?

The Health Bill is part of the government's modernisation agenda to improve patient care in England.

Clinical files: A 65-year-old patient is asymptomatic but has mild-to-moderate nuclear sclerotic cataract in each eye. Should I shorten their recall interval given that the cataract is likely to progress?

On the eve of the 2026 European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) conference in London, The College of Optometrists co-hosted ‘Vision Together: Seeing Differently – Innovation, Collaboration & the Future of Eye Care’.

Clinical files: "A new adult patient attended for their first sight test, and I detected congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium CHRPE in their right eye. They were asymptomatic, do I need to refer? "

We invite you to nominate exceptional individuals for the College's prestigious Life and Honorary Fellowships.

Clinical files: "I have a patient who uses a mobility scooter. What vision standards are required?"

Expert eye safety advice from The College of Optometrists to protect your vision.

The College of Optometrists has launched a new suite of assessor affixes to recognise the expertise, commitment and professional judgement of College assessors and the vital role they play in developing the optometry workforce.

Part two of the myopia online course focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of myopia control interventions and the management of more complex clinical cases.

Lisa Gerson has received the honour for services to optometry, education and social cohesion.

The College of Optometrists has teamed up with road safety charity IAM RoadSmart to encourage drivers of all ages to see clearly when it comes to vision and driving standards.

The College of Optometrists has published its first issue of Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics (OPO), its flagship international and interdisciplinary research journal for contemporary vision science and optometry, with its new publishing partner Springer Nature this month.

The aim of this consultation is to deliver a regulatory health and care system that is responsive, flexible, and resilient.

We have responded the General Optical Council (GOC) consultation proposing to reform optometrists' Continuing Professional Development into a flexible, less prescriptive system.

The government has progressed its commitment to moving more care from hospitals to communities.

The main purpose of the bill is to abolish NHS England and centralise its services, creating single patient records where patient health information is available in one place.

The very vehicle headlights designed to show drivers the road ahead are leaving many others struggling to spot hazards, signs and road markings, as well as making it harder to judge the position, speed and distance of oncoming vehicles, major new RAC research into headlight glare has found.*

Make your eye health a priority in 2026 – top tips for good eye health.

The College, the RAC, and Baroness Hayter have campaigned for the causes of headlight glare to be further investigated and addressed.

A bill introduced by Shockat Adam MP proposes a nationally consistent, optometry-led glaucoma testing service in England to shift care from hospitals to community practices.

The College of Optometrists has welcomed the new appointments across the Department of Health and Social Care.

The College of Optometrists has announced CooperVision and Johnson & Johnson as gold sponsors of Optometry Tomorrow 2026.

To mark World Sight Day, new analysis of UK eye tests data estimates that only around 5% of the total population of children aged five years and under had an eye test in 2025, despite optometrists and opticians recommending that children should be taken for their first regular eye test by the time they start school, from age three to four years old.

With just four weeks to go, now is the time to secure your place at Optometry Tomorrow 2026. The College of Optometrists' flagship conference takes place on 14 and 15 June at the Harrogate Convention Centre.

The College has issued guidance, following the recent MHRA drug safety update, which has drawn attention to a very rare risk of non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) associated with weight loss drugs.

We know how busy things can get, and you may not have had the chance to book your place before the original early bird deadline.

The GOC is consulting on an update to its 2013 Statement on the testing of sight, alongside proposed changes to the Standards of Practice for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians and the Standards for Optical Students.

Have your say and help shape the content of the upcoming 2026 Guidance for Professional Practice. Share your feedback by 30 March.

UK optometrists are invited to take part in a pioneering Foresight research project to build a retinal imaging database.

Eye care professionals from across the UK came together in Harrogate on 14 and 15 June for Optometry Tomorrow 2026, The College of Optometrists’ flagship conference.

During a busy September, the College travelled around the UK to meet excited first-year optometry students as part of its 2026 student roadshows.

The College of Optometrists and The Association of Optometrists (AOP) warn the current self-declaration system puts more lives at risk of death or injury.

Many people across the UK are already suffering with hay fever season symptoms, with hay fever season now starting as early as February and March*.

This week, The College of Optometrists formally presented Marsha de Cordova MP with an Honorary Fellowship at the College’s headquarters in London.

This July, The College of Optometrists will welcome more than 500 optometry students across the UK to their Clinical Learning in Practice (CLiP) roles, marking the largest intake yet into the profession’s new integrated work-based learning programme.

New members appointed to the Board of Trustees and Council.

The Sector Partnership for Optical Knowledge and Education (SPOKE) has secured funding from the Central Optical Fund. This is to expand its work with a new 18-month project to inspire an early interest in careers in eye care among primary and secondary school pupils.

Primary eye care organisations have welcomed the publication of NHS England's Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Best Practice Guidance for Glaucoma Services.

New cross-sector Eye Care Interoperability Steering Group has been formed to spearhead the development and implementation of common standards for eye care images in the UK.

The College of Optometrists is inviting members and non-members to nominate outstanding researchers for the annual Research Excellence Awards in recognition of those making a significant contribution to optometric research and the future of the profession.

Joint response calls for public protection, clarity and evidence to be central to new system.

Secure your place today and take advantage of the early bird discount for the best value tickets.

In 2026, the CLiP programme expands across UK universities, embedding supervised clinical training into optometry degrees.

The College has expanded its range of online courses, specialty independent prescribing CPD, webinars, peer reviews and Docet resources for 2026.

We are deeply saddened to report the death of Professor Mo Jalie HonFCOptom, who passed away last month.

Becoming a College Council member is a great opportunity to represent your colleagues, promote your profession, contribute to the diversity of the College, and help shape the future of optometry.

The College of Optometrists used this year’s Westminster party conference season to champion the vital role of optometrists with MPs and ministers across the political spectrum. We attended five conferences this year, promoting the key messages from our Manifesto for England.

The bodies are working together to prepare recommendations for Government on optometry-led mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers.

Government proposals for mandatory eyesight testing for drivers over the age of 70 follow active campaigning by The College of Optometrists and the Association of Optometrists on road safety.

The College of Optometrists has partnered with Boots Opticians to launch a new fully funded PhD Scholarship to extend the profession's investment in the next generation of optometry researchers.

The College of Optometrists has launched a CPD course helping eye care professionals use Artificial Intelligence (AI) safely for everyday practice admin tasks.

The College of Optometrists opens its doors to the public for the Open House Festival and Heritage Open Days on Sunday 13 September.

Like many healthcare bodies and charities, we have become increasingly concerned about the continued rise in harmful and misleading content on X and its growing incompatibility with our values. Alongside a decline in meaningful engagement from our members on this platform, we have made the decision to stop posting content on X.

Next Scottish government urged to go even further to meet the growing need for community eye care services to prevent sight loss.

Welsh government urged to go even further to advance optometry services and meet the growing demand for community eye care.

The College of Optometrists has published updated learning outcomes for the three glaucoma higher qualifications it accredits: the Professional Certificate in Glaucoma, the Higher Certificate in Glaucoma, and the Professional Diploma in Glaucoma.

The College of Optometrists has announced its partnering with Primary Health Net as the media partner for June’s Optometry Tomorrow 2026.

The GOC’s findings indicate strong patient satisfaction with eye care services but identifies that registrants have concerns that commercial pressures could potentially impact their ability to deliver the best possible care to patients, as well as affecting their wellbeing.

The College of Optometrists opened the doors to its historic headquarters for the annual Open House and Heritage Open Days events yesterday, Sunday 13 September, and hosted over 371 visitors to the British Optical Association Museum.

More than half of drivers who are dazzled by headlights - 57% - say the problem has worsened over the last 12 months with only three-in-10 (31%) disagreeing, found comprehensive new RAC research supported by The College of Optometrists.*

This year’s Optometry Tomorrow programme is designed to help you grow the skills that make the biggest difference in practice.

The UK Eye Care Data Hub, the most up-to-date and comprehensive model of the UK’s eye care workforce and eye diseases in one place, has been expanded to almost double the number of eye conditions and update aspects of the sector workforce data.

From 1 July 2026, supervision arrangements on the Scheme for Registration will align with the model already used in Clinical Learning in Practice (CLiP).

Join the College at 100% Optical where we will be showcasing new learning opportunities, promoting the role of optometrists, and offering membership guidance.

Patients will be paid £20 per session and all travel expenses will be reimbursed.

The elected candidate in your region will represent you on the Council for the next three years.

Read our round-up of the College's latest policy, influencing and member engagement activities in Wales.

The College of Optometrists has responded to the GOC consultation on the proposed updated statement on testing of sight and proposed supervision and delegation standards.

The College has updated its Privacy and cookies policy to reflect recent changes in data protection legislation. This includes the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, which came into force earlier this year.

The College of Optometrists has submitted written evidence to the Senedd’s Health and Social Care Committee with our views on the Welsh Government's priorities for health and social care.

Novelty contact lenses can be a popular addition to Halloween costumes, but buying them from retailers without a valid prescription can put your eyes at risk of serious infection, eye damage and potential sight loss.

The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan is a crucial chance to expand and strengthen primary eye care by cutting hospital pressure and tackling inequalities in access across England.

Practices across the UK are already discovering the benefits of hosting students on Clinical Learning in Practice (CLiP) programmes, and there has never been a better time to get involved.

The College of Optometrists' public consultation on the next edition of its Guidance for Professional Practice is open for feedback until Monday 3 August 2026.