Optometry Today

A series of webinars designed to support optometrists in training to build confidence and develop professional skills as they prepare to enter practice are now available on the OT website. Located in our Education library, the three webinars are hosted by AOP education lead, Dr Byki Huntjens, and were first presented as live sessions throughout June.

Registration is now open for Specsavers’ annual Professional Advancement Conference (PAC), which will take place at Birmingham’s International Conference Centre (ICC) on 13 September. Spanning optics and audiology, the one-day CPD conference is open to all practitioners, with an early bird booking rate of £109+VAT available for the next six weeks.

Hakim Group (HG) has confirmed the return of its annual Share, Progress & Achieve (SPA) event for 2026, bringing together clinicians, independent practice partners and industry leaders for a day of high-quality education, collaboration and professional development.

A new study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering has outlined efforts by Duke University researchers to generate retinal endothelial cells from induced pluripotent stem cells. The scientists found that when the lab grown cells were injected into mouse models of retinal disease, they became integrated with tissue – helping to regenerate blood vessels and restore retinal function.

A new study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology has compared the risk of developing eye disease among smokers who completely quit to smokers who switched to non-combustible nicotine or tobacco products – such as vapes and heated tobacco. Researchers examined data for 179,273 adults within the Korean National Health Insurance Service. The study cohort, who all reported smoking in 2011–2012, had quit smoking or switched to vapes by 2018–2019.

A vision screening pilot conducted in 2025 by the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) and National Taiwan University has revealed that more than half of Taiwanese five-year-olds are myopic or pre-myopic. A statement on the HPA website explained that cycloplegic refractive examinations were performed on 14,570 Taiwanese five-year-olds as part of the pilot. The pilot found that 9.5% of children included in the study were myopic, while 48.5% were pre-myopic.

The IAPB has launched its 2026 campaign for World Sight Day (8 October), calling for accessible eye care, available sight tests, and affordable glasses. The campaign will remind the public to prioritise their eye health, and will also urge governments around the world to release funding for accessible eye care.

The Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) has partnered with the University of Plymouth to establish a Level 6 dispensing optician apprenticeship which will launch this September. The collaboration marks an expansion of the body’s approved training providers, increasing access to education for trainee dispensing opticians in the South West.

An increase in the public’s confidence in eye care services has been reported in the General Optical Council’s (GOC) new public perceptions research, although the regulator has highlighted that inequalities in patient access and experience persist. Published earlier this week (30 June), the GOC’s 2026 public perceptions report found that 94% of respondents were confident they would receive a high standard of care from an optometry practice, which is up from 93% in 2025.

A group of six practitioners from Newmedica in Suffolk teamed up to run 13.1 miles wearing sight loss simulation glasses to fundraise for Suffolk Sight. Covering the half marathon distance, the team completed the Orwell Challenge last month (28 June). The funds raised will be used to support the charity in recruiting a community sight loss adviser, a role that supports people with visual impairment to maintain independence, rebuild confidence and navigate daily life.