Locum Clinical Skills Conference 2025

Session A

Discussion workshop: Toric lens tactics

Are you the type of contact lens fitter who confidently makes the best clinical recommendation, or do you prefer empowering your patients with choices?

This interactive workshop will dive into the diverse strategies eye care professionals use when prescribing toric contact lenses.

This session isn't just about the science, it's about refining your communication skills, understanding the impact of lens design and material on patient comfort, and embracing a patient-centred approach that truly personalises the contact lens experience.

Elevate your clinical practice by learning how to balance expert guidance with patient empowerment for optimal outcomes.

Learning outcomes

• Practitioners will recognise the importance of gathering a complete patient history, including lifestyle needs, to recommend the most suitable contact lens that meets each patient’s requirements
• Practitioners will learn ways to enhance their communication skills, ensuring that patients fully understand the benefits and features of all available correction options and are actively engaged in decisions regarding their care
• Practitioners will expand their understanding of the various soft toric contact lens materials and designs available.

Speakers: Neelam Patel, Faye McDearmid, James Hall and Melanie McDowall

Session B

Discussion workshop: Back to basics with binocular vision

This discussion workshop revisits core principles of binocular vision assessment through three anonymised clinical cases. Attendees will explore how to take a targeted history to identify relevant symptoms, review commonly available tests in the optometric consulting room, and interpret expected results.

Working collaboratively, attendees will help formulate appropriate management plans for each case, reinforcing practical, evidence-based approaches to everyday binocular vision challenges.

Learning outcomes

• Practitioners will learn how best to describe their management plan to a patient
• Practitioners will understand how to elicit relevant history and symptoms from patients with a binocular vision problem
• Practitioners will be able to diagnose and manage decompensating phorias and convergence insufficiency.

Practitioners will learn how to recognise red flags in an eye examination and refer binocular vision patients appropriately.

Speaker: Dr Catherine Porter

Session C

Discussion workshop: Managing medical cases in primary care

This discussion workshop is designed for optometrists encountering medical retina presentations in everyday practice. Through real-world case discussions and imaging interpretation, the session will enhance confidence in identifying key clinical signs, exploring differential diagnoses, and understanding appropriate management pathways.

Delegates will leave better equipped to recognise and manage common medical retina conditions, and to make informed referral decisions when necessary.

Learning outcomes

• Practitioners will recognise common signs of common medical retina conditions
• Practitioners will understand how to manage and/or refer common medical retina conditions.

Speaker: Amy Green

Session D

Discussion workshop: Minor issues in eyecare - clinical, ethical and regulatory scenarios involving children

This discussion workshop will consider the common clinical, ethical and regulatory scenarios practitioners encounter when examining children, and how to manage these situations effectively in practice.

Learning outcomes

• Practitioners will recognise how to manage child safeguarding issues in clinical practice
• Practitioners will recognise strategies for managing a safe environment for children
• Practitioners will understand how to maintain adequate patient records.

Speaker: Henry Leonard

Peer review

Peer review: Multifocal mysteries

Step into the shoes of Detective Optic to unravel the mystery of the missing trial frame! Someone in the practice has misplaced it, and it’s up to you to uncover who and where we can find it.

Join us in solving three intriguing patient cases on presbyopia - each case provides vital clues that bring us closer to cracking the case. Put on your detective hats, sharpen your logic, and dive into this engaging, Cluedo-inspired multifocal CPD adventure!

Learning outcomes

• Practitioners will recognise the importance of gathering a complete patient history, including lifestyle needs, to recommend the most suitable contact lens that meets each patient’s requirements, relative to their scope of practice
• Practitioners will learn how to effectively communicate with presbyopic patients about soft contact lens material properties, and available presbyopic visual correction options
• Practitioners will expand their understanding of the various soft multifocal contact lens materials and designs available.

Speakers: Preete Kumar, Neelam Patel, Faye McDearmid, James Hall and Melanie McDowall

Amy Green

Amy Green graduated as an optometrist from Cardiff University in 2007 and completed the independent prescribing speciality with Glasgow Caledonian University in 2014. She holds professional certificates in medical retina and glaucoma. Amy has worked as a specialist optometrist in medical retina, eye casualty and cataract pre assessment clinics at York Teaching Hospital since 2012. In addition, she has taught undergraduate optometry at Bradford University and postgraduate medical retina at Cardiff University.

James Hall

James qualified as a dispensing optician in 1992 after which he had a variety of roles in practice management, as a contact lens optician and a franchise director. He currently works as the contact lens and anterior eye specialist at the University Hospital of North Midlands in Newcastle under Lyme, North Staffordshire whilst also working as a professional affairs consultant with Johnson & Johnson where he is engaged in delivering a variety of education and training programmes to fellow eye care professionals.

Preete Kumar

Preete graduated from City University of London in 2003, completed a postgraduate diploma in clinical optometry in 2008 and gained a fellowship to the International Association of Contact Lens Educators in 2017. She has held a variety of roles during her career including resident and locum optometrist, domiciliary practice director, contact lens trainer, student clinic supervisor and professional education and development manager. Preete currently works part time as a professional affairs consultant for the Vision team at Johnson & Johnson, a role she has held for 13 years.

Henry Leonard 

Henry is the head of clinical and regulatory at the AOP and has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including independent opticians, small groups and large multiples. He is an active member of his Local Optical Committee, serving as clinical governance lead for Buckinghamshire, and also runs a small domiciliary practice in his area.

In his role at the AOP, he provides tailored advice to individual optometrists throughout the UK and is involved in drafting clinical and regulatory guidance for the wider membership. He also provides clinical opinions to assist the AOP’s legal team in representing and defending practitioners who are the subject of employment, NHS or GOC investigations, and in respect of civil claims.

Faye McDearmid

Faye qualified as an optometrist in 2008. She has worked in independent practice since and has experience in education, academia, hospital eye service and professional consultancy, joining Johnson & Johnson Vision as a professional affairs consultant in 2019. Faye's passion lies in contact lenses, supporting other eye care professionals in both their practice and wellbeing and running a successful business.

Melanie McDowall

Melanie qualified as a contact lens optician in 2009. Working in both flagship national chain stores and independent practice, Melanie joined the Vision team at Johnson & Johnson in 2017 as a professional affairs consultant delivering education, training, and coaching in communication to fellow eye care professionals and optical assistants in Scotland.

Neelam Patel

Neelam has 20 years’ experience as an optometrist in practice and field-based roles working for a large multiple. Working part time as a professional affairs consultant and faculty team member with the Vision Team at Johnson and Johnson, allows her to fulfil her passion for facilitating learning through coaching to provide excellence in patient care. Neelam also works closely with the professional education team to develop learning materials and co-author CPD.

Dr Catherine Porter

Dr Catherine Porter is a senior lecturer in optometry at the University of Manchester, where she teaches binocular vision, further investigative techniques and clinical management. She has presented workshops and lectures nationally and internationally on clinical aspects of optometry, including undergraduates, pre reg and fully qualified optometrists. Catherine is IP qualified, and a principal fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Address

Holiday Inn Manchester City Centre
25 Aytoun Street
Manchester
M1 3AE

Location

The venue is located in heart of Manchester with Manchester Piccadilly train station only a four minute walk away.

Transport

By train

• Manchester Piccadilly – four minute walk
• Manchester Oxford Road – 13 minute walk
• Manchester Victoria – 18 minute walk.

By taxi

Taxis are often available from outside of the stations, although if possible, walking is often much quicker.

By bus or tram

The city is served by a range of buses and trams.

Parking

The Holiday Inn doesn’t have any onsite parking; however parking is available at Chorlton Street NCP car park which is only a few minutes away from the venue.

The hotel is able to offer discounted parking for those who use the Chorlton Street NCP. The car park uses registration plate recognition, once parked please register your parking with the reception desk at the Holiday Inn and they will be able to offer you the discounted day rate.

There is accessible parking at the Chorlton Street NCP car park.

When do I select my CPD workshops?

There’s no need to select workshops before attending as delegates will have the opportunity to rotate between all sessions.

I’m no longer able to attend, how can I cancel my booking?

Please email [email protected] if you need to cancel your booking. The team will be able to ensure your cancellation and refund is processed.

Please note: Our event terms and conditions apply to all bookings. Please refer to the ‘transfers & cancellations’ section for more information.

The event is sold out, can I join a waiting list?

Yes, please email [email protected] to be added to the waiting list. If a place becomes available, a member of the AOP events team will get in touch to notify you.

Please note: If you do not claim your spot within five working days of being notified, your place will be offered to the next person on the waiting list.