News
Countdown to opening begins as NHS takes keys for new Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital
Leaders at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust today took their first steps inside the region’s new specialist eye hospital as construction partner Kier officially handed over the keys. Set to open later this summer, NHS leaders have also...
ABDO releases new white paper on paediatric vision care
The Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) has released a new white paper, Advancing paediatric vision care: evidence-based insights and best practices for dispensing spectacles to children by Dr Alicia Thompson. Children’s vision underpins educational attainment, social interaction and lifelong...
Not-for-profit delivers one million patient assessments, expanding access to community eyecare
Primary Eyecare Services, a not-for-profit provider, has reached a major national milestone – supporting more than one million patient assessments in a single year. Delivered during 2025/26, the achievement highlights the growing role of community-based, not-for-profit care in improving access...
Glaucoma UK Helpline achieves Helplines Standard accreditation
Glaucoma UK’s Helpline has been awarded the Helplines Standard accreditation, recognising the quality, consistency and professionalism of the support it provides to people affected by glaucoma, as well as to the professionals who support them. The Helplines Standard is the...
The College of Optometrists launches its Manifesto for Wales: Securing sustainable eye care
The College of Optometrists has today published its Manifesto for Wales: Securing sustainable eye care, calling on the next Welsh Government to continue leading the way by expanding community eyecare services to further improve access to eyecare and prevent avoidable...
The College of Optometrists calls for shift in detecting and managing glaucoma
The College of Optometrists calls for shift in detecting and managing glaucoma by fully unlocking safe and effective primary care capacity Glaucoma is the second leading cause of irreversible sight loss in the UK and affects over one million people,...
David Reed MP met with clinical teams in Exeter who are supporting NHS ophthalmology services
MP for Exmouth and Exeter East visited SpaMedica Exeter to discuss how independent sector capacity is supporting NHS ophthalmology services across the country. SpaMedica is one of the UK’s largest independent providers of NHS-funded ophthalmology care, specialising in cataract surgery...
Using medical AI as ‘autopilot’ risks deskilling of clinicians, caution doctors and aviation safety experts
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into healthcare services, there are important lessons that the medical profession can learn from the aviation industry, which faced widespread loss of human skills after the adoption of autopilot. While calls for medicine...
World-class eye health centre in London named
A new, world-class centre for eye care, research, and education, opening in Camden in 2027 has been officially named. A partnership between Moorfields Eye Hospital, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, and Moorfields Eye Charity, the new centre will be called...
College of Optometrists and RCOphth form new Eye Care Interoperability Steering Group
New cross-sector Eye Care Interoperability Steering Group formed to spearhead the development and implementation of common standards for eye care images in the UK . A new Eye Care Interoperability Steering Group has been established to accelerate the adoption of...
Scottish Government announces permanent free rail travel for companions of visually impaired people
Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans welcome the Scottish Government announcement today that free rail travel for companions of visually impaired people has been made a permanent policy across all ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper services. Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland...
The College of Optometrists launches its manifesto for eyecare in Scotland: building on success
As Scotland marks 20 years since it became the only UK nation to introduce free NHS-funded eye examinations for people of all ages in 2006, The College of Optometrists is calling on the next Scottish Government to continue leading the...
