City, University of London launches its first two-day contact lens workshops event

City, University of London has launched its first two-day CET training event dedicated to workshops in contact lenses. It will be held at the university on 16–17 January 2017 and then every two years afterwards.

The aim is to help practitioners improve their investigative skills and develop specialisms in contact lens fitting.

The inaugural ‘City WinC’ event is themed around specialised contact lenses with ortho-k and mini-scleral lenses featured on day one and day two looking at dry eye assessment and management.

The workshops will be run by university staff and industry partners, including No 7 Contact Lenses, Bausch & Lomb and Scope Ophthalmics.

Explaining the development of the event, City, University of London optometry lecturer, Dr Manbir Nagra, told OT: ““Our undergraduate programme director, Dr Byki Huntjens, and I had discussed the growing interest in complex contact lens fits and specialised clinics such as myopia control and dry eye – we wanted to provide training for interested practitioners.

“Following discussions with key stakeholders, we recognised a preference for hands-on training and fewer lectures. In response we created ‘WinC’, a two-day training programme focusing on Workshops in Contact lenses,” she explained.

Dr Nagra highlighted that City, University of London was the first school to train optometrists in the UK and has been leading developments in education in optometry ever since, including the College of Optometrists-accredited Professional Higher Certificate in Contact Lens Practice.

Expanding its programmes, the university has invested in its ophthalmic facilities, with the opening of its optometry clinic, City Sight, in January 2016.

Delegate fees for the new contact lens event are £200 for both days, or £150 for one day. For more information, visit the City, University of London website.

Practitioners wishing to gain a more formal qualification are encouraged to find out about the university’s Masters courses, which include professional certificates in glaucoma, medical retina and low vision.