Ministerial insight

At the third instalment of what’s become a key event in the optical calendar, our coverage this year promises to be even more diverse – reflecting the hard work invested by our colleagues in the AOP education team to design and deliver the best seminar programme yet.

There are CET points galore of course – of the 83 sessions being presented, 76 will be carrying CET accreditation for delegates. Standout speakers have also been secured, including Department of Health Minister, Alistair Burt MP. Holding responsibility for ophthalmic services, the MP will be speaking on the main stage as part of a session on Unleashing local energies – the future of primary care and the NHS (6 February, 12pm).

Representing a coup for the event, the Minister’s address will be his first directly to an optical audience, and his attendance at 100% Optical is the result of a joint invitation from the Local Optical Committee Support Unit and the Optical Confederation.

Other sessions that have last-minute availability include Professor Roger Buckley on Ocular allergy and its management (6 February, 1pm), and Allon Barsam on Corneal collagen cross-linking (8 February, 12pm).

In light of the continuing success of 100% Optical, the AOP and event organiser Media 10 have confirmed that a new three-year deal has been agreed, securing the future of the event in London. As the AOP chief executive, Henrietta Alderman, explains: “100% Optical has become the profession’s flagship event for everyone in optics. It enables us to deliver value to our members during the event and invest in additional support and education as a result of the partnership.”

The OT team will be available on the AOP stand (W300) throughout the three days. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the new-look website and monthly journal along with your ideas for future features.