21 July 2025
Scope Eyecare has announced the winners of its 2025 Independent Prescriber (IP) Bursary Awards.
The initiative, which is now in its fourth year, has seen the bursary awarded to Jennifer Smith, from Broadhurst Optometrists in Preston, and Verinder Singh Bansal, a locum optometrist from Coventry.
The bursaries are designed to support optometrists in paying their course fees when gaining the independent prescribing (IP) qualification.
The wider aim is to improve patient outcomes by empowering optometrists to take on extended roles within both primary and secondary care.
Five finalists presented clinical case studies and shared their motivations for pursuing the qualification with a judging panel that included IP optometrists Professor Nick Rumney, Sarah Farrant, and Connan Tam.
The runners-up were Inderpal Ghuman, of Moorfields Eye Hospital, Mohammed Fardin, of Specsavers West Bromwich, and Zainab Ahmad, from University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust. Each received a £100 educational voucher.
Edel Duffy, medical director at Scope Eyecare, said: “We’re incredibly proud of this initiative, and delighted by the continued enthusiasm from optometrists to upskill through independent prescribing. This benefits not only their careers but most importantly, their patients.”
Duffy added: “Scope remains committed to supporting the profession through education and clinical development and we are looking forward to the 2026 competition already.”
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