The College of Optometrists is the professional membership body for optometry and a registered charity. We champion optometrists as essential eye care professionals. We inspire and enable them to provide the highest quality of eye health care to their patients and improve eye health and vision for all. We do this through promoting lifelong learning, defining and supporting good clinical practice, and amplifying the expert voice of optometrists.
We are guided by our values of integrity and transparency, listening and learning, respect and professionalism, achieving high quality and championing equality, diversity and inclusion.
We know there are many geopolitical and societal issues our members are either impacted by or feel strongly about. However, as a charity, we are bound to a position of political neutrality. This means we do not take any political positions or make statements that do not directly support our charitable purpose.
Supporting members
We believe the best way to support our members is to:
- stay true to our purpose: advancing the research, education, and practice of optometry – serving the public good through supporting better eye and vision care
- build an inclusive professional community: respecting all our members, and benefiting from their diversity of background, opinions, and experience
- demonstrate professionalism and respect: upholding our reputation as an evidence-based, impartial, and trustworthy body working to position optometry at the forefront of better eye health
We will always support the principles of medical neutrality and international humanitarian law protecting the safety of patients, hospitals, and healthcare workers, wherever they are in the world.