Press Release: Eye Health Exam Wales takes on Board Contact Lens Opticians

Contact Lens Opticians in Wales will be able to work within the Eye Health Exam Wales (EHEW) scheme, joining colleagues in England already delivering Minor Eye Conditions Services. The EHEW scheme is part of Wales Eyecare Services (WECS) which enables patients to receive urgent care or monitor patients with certain conditions in optical practices within the community instead of the hospital eye service.

CLO Haylie Pritchard is one of the first to take part in the scheme. She says, “I am delighted to be involved in the EHEW scheme for CLOs in Wales. Having worked alongside optometrists delivering this service for a number of years, I have seen first-hand the positives of being able to provide primary eye health advice in practice. Patients can be seen swiftly and feel reassured they are getting expert assistance. I am excited to use the skills I have learnt during this program to elevate the level of care I can give my patients.”

Sharon Beatty, Clinical Co-Lead, Training and Accreditation Manager, Eye Health Examination Wales, says, “I am thrilled that WOPEC has been able to work with ABDO and Optometry Wales to bring such an exciting development to the EHEW service. We are delighted that Contact Lens Opticians are joining the EHEW service and utilising their expertise for the benefit of patients in Wales.”

Dr Nik Sheen, Clinical Co-Lead, Training and Accreditation Manager, Eye Health Examination Wales, says, “Delivery of the EHEW service now enables EHEW accredited Contact Lens Opticians to see those patients presenting with an acute anterior eye care problem. This is great news for Wales and particularly practices that are seeing increasing numbers of these patients so that the skills and expertise of contact lens opticians can be utilised fully.”

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Notes to Editors

1. Media enquiries to Antonia Chitty achitty@abdo.org.uk  07538 525476
2. Hi res images are available
3. ABDO represents over 6000 qualified dispensing opticians in the United Kingdom. Registered office, 199, Gloucester Terrace, London W2 6LD.
4. The Minor Eye Conditions (MECS) and Glaucoma Repeat Measurements (GRM) online course accredits Contact Lens Opticians (CLOs) so that they can work within extended services.  This course is run jointly by ABDO and Wales Optometry Post Graduate Education Centre (WOPEC). It launched in 2018 and since then over 200 CLOs have applied to commence the on-line modules. The course consists of on-line presentations with multiple choice questions built in, a training day and a final accreditation examination.
5. For further details or if you have any queries on the course please contact Max Halford, ABDO Clinical Lead mhalford@abdolondon.org.uk
6. A comprehensive brochure about the Extended Services Course can be downloaded at https://www.abdo.org.uk/resource/extended-services-for-contact-lens-opticians-england/