In Other News

In addition, the BCLA Industry Award honors an individual or team that has made an outstanding contribution to the contact lens profession in terms of a product, technology, or concept, while the BCLA Hospital Optometry Practitioner of the Year Award champions the work of a hospital-based contact lens practitioner who has improved the health, vision, and ophthalmic care of patients. Deadline for submissions is April 7, 2025. For more information, visit www.bcla.org.uk

Sights tests before school. Following a survey which revealed that, on average, children in the UK are five years old before having their first eye test, one in five parents rely solely on school sight screenings, and almost one in two parents are unaware of the importance of early sight tests for children, the College of Optometrists is urging parents to take children to see an optometrist before school age. This is especially pertinent, the college notes, if the parents require glasses with a strong prescription, or if there is any family history of eye problems. Link

(Eye can’t get no) Satisfaction. Overall job satisfaction among optical professionals dipped from 62 percent in 2023 to 58 percent this year, according to the results of the General Optical Council’s Registrant Workforce and Perceptions Survey 2024. However, 55 percent of respondents noted opportunities for the development of their careers, and 46 percent felt supported to develop their potential. The study, conducted by Enventure Research, surveyed 4,575 professionals, 15 percent of the registrant population. Link

RNIB’s COVID-19 film. To coincide with the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, RNIB has released a short film about blind and partially sighted people’s experiences during the pandemic. The film looks at individual’s experiences with accessing food and essentials, health information and COVID-19 testing, difficulty with social distancing and navigating local streets, and the effects of increased isolation and decreased independence. Watch the film

Transitions campaign. Transitions Optical has launched a multi-channel media campaign for the Transitions GEN S lens. A video commercial will be running on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as on billboards in key locations across London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, and Nottingham. Transitions GEN S, available in eight colors, is “ultra-responsive to light, reaching category-three levels of darkness in a few seconds and fading back to clear quickly.” The campaign will run until mid-December. New point-of-sale material is available, including posters, a showcard, consumer leaflets, and a dispensing mat. Learn more about the lenses on EssilorLuxottica’s learning platform, Leonardo. Link