JANUARY 2016 DISPENSING OPTICS NEWS, INFORMATION and EDUCATION for OPTICIANS It’s a feeling Stepper UK Limited 11 Tannery Road Tonbridge Kent TN9 1RF 01732 375975 Frame style shown: Si 50079 Dispensing Optics JANUARY 2016 Contents 20. 25. 38. 36. 10. Features 35. Graduation “Keep learning, stay young” 18. New Year Messages 38. Preview Showcase snapshot 20. Product spotlight New year trend spotting Regulars 24. Continuing Education & Training Making the practice disability-friendly by Kim Devlin 5. DO Dispatches 28. Multiple choice answers 6. Letters 32. In practice 7. News Gender in optics by Antonia Chitty 8. Black Arts by ABDO president, Peter Black 34. Lively debate at Area Day 40. Jottings by Lesley Parkinson 41. FAQs by Kim Devlin FRONT COVER Model Nine Five 2600 42. Jobs & Notices from Nine Eyewear, www.nine-eyewear.com Dispensing Optics JANUARY 2016 3 ReCreating Perfect Vision ΅ΙΣΠΦΘΙ͑΄΄ΙΒΞΚΣΙΒΞΚΣ͑ΝΖΟΤΖΤ͑͝ͷΠΣ͑ ΈΠΣΜ͑͝΁ΝΒΪ͑ΒΟΕ͑ͶΧΖΣΪΕΒΪ͑͟ ʹΙΒΝΝΖΟΘΖ͑ʹΙΒΝΝΖΟΘΖ͑ΥΥΙΖ͑ΥΖΔΙΟΠΝΠΘΪΙΖ͑ΥΖΔΙΟΠΝΠΘΪ͑ΥΥΠΕΒΪΠΕΒΪ͒ www.shamirlens.co.uk DISPENSING OPTICS The Professional Journal of the Association of British Dispensing Opticians VOLUME 31 NO 1 EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Sir Anthony Garrett CBE HonFBDO Assistant Editor Jane Burnand DO Dispatches Managing Editor Nicky Collinson BA (Hons) Email [email protected] Design and Production Rosslyn Argent BA (Hons) HAPPY NEW YEAR Email [email protected] Admin. Manager Deanne Gray HonFBDO We start the New Year with a very full Email [email protected] calendar, with challenges and changes EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING ahead and every reason to believe that Telephone 0781 2734717 Email [email protected] your Association will continue to grow and Website www.abdo.org.uk thrive. In so doing, the ABDO board and executive team will do all we can do to ensure the best possible service to you SUBSCRIPTIONS UK £140 our members. Overseas £150, including postage Apply to Tom Veti Enclosed with this month’s issue you will find your personal Association of British Dispensing Opticians copy of our 2016 events programme. As you will see, all new Godmersham Park, Godmersham, Kent CT4 7DT CET will include more hands-on skills workshops and training Telephone 01227 733922 Email [email protected] to help members access meaningful interactive CET at Area Website www.abdo.org.uk events throughout the UK. All the required core competencies ABDO CET are covered for DOs, CLOs and, as usual, we will be seeking to Head of CET Paula Stevens MA ODE BSc(Hons) gain CET approval for optometrists too. MCOptom FBDO CL (Hons)AD SMC(Tech) 2015 ended with the news that the General Optical Council ABDO CET, 5 Kingsford Business Centre, Layer Road, (GOC) had admitted to a problem concerning the wrongful Kingsford, Colchester CO2 0HT release of confidential data (see News page 7). We take data Telephone 01206 734155 Email [email protected] protection very seriously and have kept a close watch on the or email [email protected] situation. We will continue to monitor this and will raise any CONTINUING EDUCATION REVIEW PANEL concerns members may have if anything new emerges in the Joanne Abbott BSc(Hons) FBDO SMC(Tech) coming weeks. Keith Cavaye FBDO(Hons)CL FBCLA Andrew Cripps FBDO(Hons) PG Cert HE FHEA At ABDO College, Huntley Taylor completed his spell as Kim Devlin FBDO(Hons)CL Stephen Freeman BSc(Hons) MCOptom FBDO(Hons) FHEA Cert Ed chairman of the College trustees at the end of December. Abilene Macdonald Grute BSc(Hons) MCOptom BSc(Hons) FBDO(Hons) He has served as chairman for four years with great SLD(Hons)LVA Dip Dist Ed Cert Ed Richard Harsant FBDO(Hons)CL(Hons)LVA distinction and commitment and I know that the whole Andrew Keirl BOptom(Hons) MCOptom FBDO College team are most grateful to him for a job well done. Angela McNamee BSc(Hons) MCOptom FBDO(Hons)CL FBCLA Cert Ed The trustees have elected Angela McNamee to succeed Linda Rapley BSc(Hons) FCOptom PGDip PGCE Andrew Stokes FBDO SMC(Tech) Huntley and I am sure everyone would wish Angela well as she takes up office. JOURNAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Richard Crook FBDO Once again, may I wish everyone a happy, successful and Kim Devlin FBDO(Hons)CL Kevin Gutsell FBDO(Hons) SLD prosperous New Year. Ros Kirk FBDO Angela McNamee BSc(Hons) MCOptom FBDO(Hons)CL FBCLA Cert Ed Sir Anthony Garrett ABDO general secretary DISPENSING OPTICS IS PUBLISHED BY ABDO, 199 Gloucester Terrace, London W2 6LD DISPENSING OPTICS IS PRINTED BY P&P Litho Ltd, Hanworth, Middlesex TW13 6AR © ABDO: No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means whatever without the written prior permission of the publishers Dispensing Optics welcomes contributions for possible editorial publication. However, contributors warrant to the publishers that they own all rights to illustrations, artwork or photographs submitted and also to copy which is factually accurate and does not infringe any other party’s rights ISSN 0954 3201 AVERAGE CIRCULATION: 9,063 Jan-Dec 2015 ABDO Board certification Dispensing Optics JANUARY 2016 5 HAVE YOUR SAY Email [email protected] or write to Dispensing Optics, PO Box @ 233, Crowborough TN27 3AB Letters DISMAY AT LVC PROPOSALS It has come to my attention that ABDO is actively considering With modern technology, we can provide a platform or forum for disbanding the Low Vision Committee (LVC) and having some expertise to be shared more widely than it is presently, and provide low vision representation on a Clinical Committee instead. This support to our members engaged in local commissioning and other dismays me more than I can say. eyecare services such as school vision screening. The LVC consists of vastly experienced, dedicated DOs who are The lecturing careers of our most experienced professionals will be all considered experts in the field. Between us, we have years of far from over. Indeed, if our aspirations are realised – to have a DO experience in the practice of low vision and are highly regarded on every commissioning negotiation body, and to see low vision and by other eyecare professionals. We are all invited to lecture on minor eye conditions services commissioned everywhere in line with different aspects of low vision and some of us have given talks the LOCSU pathway – then their services as trainers will be in all around the UK as well as in Ireland, Scandinavia, Europe and demand like never before. Asia. This in itself raises the profile of DOs and ABDO. In the past, various committees meeting perhaps two or three times Members of the committee are all delegates to various groups per year, whilst undoubtedly proactive in their stance, have been and organisations, for example Vision 20/20, the Macular unable to react quickly enough in a rapidly changing world. This has Disease Society and so on. These members then report back to sometimes meant that we have not been able to react at all, and the committee thus increasing awareness of new developments have had to accept others – usually optometrists – speaking on our and ensuring that committee members are well informed and behalf, or worse still being completely forgotten. well placed to promote all aspects of low vision practice. A new Clinical Committee, employing a number of full-time ABDO Most of the committee are, or have been, LV tutors for ABDO employees, as well as representatives from the membership, will be and we have organised several LV CET days, which proved very in a much better position to respond in future and to coordinate popular and were all fully subscribed. We have also arranged LV task and finish working groups where they are necessary using the lectures and workshops at various ABDO Area events and at our right skill set as required. annual conferences. Who will carry out this important work in the future? It will be our intention to provide leadership training to regional leads and sub-regional leads to support them in their roles, and for Low vision practice is one of our protected activities and ABDO us to continue to support a large number of dispensing opticians should, as it has in the past, promote its practice to our with training in Ophthalmic Public Health, which has encouraged so members and help them to obtain the knowledge and practical experience, which will enable them to offer their expertise in many to take the plunge and get involved with their LOC in the first what is one of the most important and satisfying areas of place [see Jottings page 40]. practice. With an ageing population, the need for good LV A lack of coordinated oversight of committees has led to practice will only increase. duplication of effort, frustration and delay, and on occasion has My fear is that with the disbanding of the LVC, the profile of impeded progress on important issues. Additionally, our current DOs and ABDO in this field will diminish and opportunities for structure fails to represent our key clinical work – ophthalmic our members to help the visually impaired will decrease. We will dispensing including paediatrics – in any way. This will form a key be throwing away a body that is a fantastic pool of knowledge part of the role of the new Clinical Committee too. and experience and replacing it with a very pale imitation. This The ABDO board totally agrees with the assertion that demand for would be a disaster for any of our members who wish to low vision services will continue to increase to unprecedented practice low vision in the future. levels. However, we remain disappointed that only a small minority G. Smith FBDO(Hons)LVA of clinical commissioning groups have commissioned LV services in Billingham England.