Registration has opened for the Specsavers Professional Advancement Conference (PAC) with plenty of content for dispensing opticians available.
Open to all wherever they work, PAC takes place at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre on Sunday 17 September. The conference, which also covers audiology, features expert presenters, a range of CPD sessions, more than 30 exhibitors and networking opportunities.
Dr Alicia Thompson, ABDO director of education, research and professional development, will be presenting at a session titled, ‘Every child is unique’. There will also be other tailored CPD sessions for dispensing opticians, including a masterclass led by Kirsteen Newman, who leads Specsavers’ dispensing optician career path and training.
Other highlights will include Professor Anthony King, chair of Glaucoma UK, discussing challenges and prospects for glaucoma care. Professor Roshini Sanders, consultant ophthalmologist, Fife, University of Edinburgh, and Dr Cindy Ogundo, clinical fellow, Fife. Ophthalmologist, Mbagathi Hospital, Nairobi, will speak about glaucoma shared care in practice and LASIK learnings.
“It is brilliant to welcome this calibre of expert to this year’s PAC because we are committed to changing patient’s lives by supporting the professional development of colleagues across the sector,” said Specsavers’ Grant Duncan, director of professional development, clinical services.
As well as dispensing opticians, the conference programme will appeal to contact lens opticians, colleagues with Cert 4 qualification and optical assistants.
“There are more peer reviews than ever,” continued Grant. “CPD-accredited sessions are organised around key themes – including glaucoma, enhanced optical services, contact lenses, dispensing, clinical change and low vision.”
Stars of the optics and audiology sectors will also be honoured at the PAC with awards from Specsavers’ founders. The Doug and Dame Mary Perkins Awards recognise clinical excellence and customer care across Specsavers’ community practices in the UK and Ireland.
More information about this year’s PAC, including registration can be found here.