Over 2000 Specsavers optoms now MECS-accredited

Specsavers has announced that more than 2000 of its optometrists have successfully become accredited to offer Minor Eye Conditions Services (MECS) in England.

The milestone has been reached through practitioners passing the WOPEC Level 2 MECS certification. While Level 1 accreditation involves CET-accredited e-learning lectures that are completed online, Level 2 accreditation is an attendance-based Objective Structured Clinical Examination with five stations.

Speaking about the milestone, Specsavers’ director of optometry advancement, Paul Morris, said: “Optometrists, wherever they work, need to be accredited to deliver enhanced optical services if they are to take on the full scope of primary eye care in the future and deliver the best outcomes to patients.

“Our 2000^th practitioner in England is a significant milestone for Specsavers. Every practitioner who has been accredited at Level 1 and Level 2 has proved their capability to deal with minor eye conditions and gained vital knowledge that will sharpen their clinical decision-making with every patient they see.”

Sharing details of why Specsavers is supporting its optometrists through the additional qualification, Mr Morris added: “As part of Specsavers’ commitment to clinical excellence we plan to continue our programme of training and accreditation to ensure all our optometrists have the skills and knowledge to care to the best of their abilities for every patient, and to be able to take on the full scope of primary eye care – helping to transform the eye health of the nation.”