Training course referral

Optometrists sitting a practical examination as part of a WOPEC Glaucoma Level 2 assessment hosted by Specsavers successfully spotted the warning signs of angle-closure glaucoma in a colleague.

Optical assistant Sharon Margery had recently joined the multiple’s Milton Keynes practice when she volunteered to sit as a patient as part of the in-store training assessment.

Over the course of the evening, a number of candidates and WOPEC examiners checked Ms Margery’s anterior chamber angles, finding both eyes to be Van Herick Grade 2, which is classed as narrow. As a result, Milton Keynes optometrist partner Rajesh Shah recommended she have a full eye test.

The 44-year-old, who had not had an eye test for 10 years, was seen by senior optometrist Natasha Dodia-Shah, who, along with the Van Herick reading, noted asymmetric intro-ocular pressures. Following the eye test, Ms Margery was sent via urgent referral to Milton Keynes Hospital.

Examined at the hospital two days later using gonioscopy, within two weeks Ms Margery received bilateral laser iridotomies to reduce the risk of angle-closure glaucoma.

A head of enhanced optical services at Specsavers, Hayley Moore, who was the lead assessor at the Milton Keynes assessment, commented: “As part of our nationwide focus on enhanced services, we have been running glaucoma training workshops around the country to prepare all our optometrists for WOPEC Level 2 accreditation or equivalent. This particular case shows the value of that training.”

Specsavers’ glaucoma accreditation programme is designed to upskill optometrists and reinforce their skills in detecting glaucoma and monitoring the signs of its progression.