17 March 2026
Somerset Local Optical Committee (LOC) will fund up to seven eye care practitioners a year to complete higher qualifications, including independent prescribing (IP).
Up to £4000 will be available per practitioner, LOC treasurer Ben Williams told OT.
Applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Practitioners applying for funding should work in a practice that provides General Ophthalmic Services and has contributed to the Somerset LOC budget.
Although all higher qualifications will be considered, priority will be given to applications from optometrists who wish to undertake IP qualifications, Williams told OT.
Course fees will be paid retrospectively, with one third paid to each practitioner upon qualification, with the remaining two thirds paid back over the following two years.
Reimbursement of course fees is dependent upon practitioners continuing to practise in Somerset.
Seven complete qualifications per year is sufficient to meet patient need in Somerset and funds will be allocated based on the greatest benefit to the local community, Williams said.
The funding is continuous rather than being over a set period of time, he told OT, foregoing any significant change in future financing of the LOC.
He explained that Somerset LOC has paid for higher qualification final assessments, many of which have been in IP, for several years.
Prudent budgeting has now left the LOC in a secure enough financial position to allocate a more generous budget to those pursuing higher optometric qualifications, Williams said.
A strong benefit for the Somerset community
The Somerset Acute Eyecare Scheme has run successfully for a number of years, but the county does not currently have a strong network of IP practitioners, Williams told OT.
The eye departments at Somerset’s two hospitals have limited or no weekend cover, he explained.
Having more IP-qualified practitioners would benefit the county, Williams said, but he emphasised that applications for other higher qualifications would be welcome to apply for LOC funding too.
“IP is the number one that we will prioritise, but the budget is not exclusive to that,” he said.
“We have funded the final exams for glaucoma qualifications in the past, and we will consider glaucoma, paediatrics, contact lenses, medical retina and any other postgraduate qualification that has a clear, demonstrable benefit to patients in Somerset.”
This might include a dispensing optician who wants to upskill in low vision, for example, Williams told OT.
“We might get an application for something that we have not funded before, and we will consider it,” he added.
Practitioners who completed their courses in 2025 are also welcome to apply for funding, Williams said.
He also emphasised the importance of practitioners working locally if they are to apply for LOC funding.
“We want more practitioners with a higher skill level, and more numerous practitioners, in our county,” he said, adding: “It is beneficial for the whole of the optical industry if we can keep people local.”
Speaking about the long-term aim of the LOC’s investment, Williams said: “Hopefully we will get a greater level of specialised primary care in the community, dealing with emergencies in the community and taking the pressure off the local hospital eye department.
“Beyond that, we will have a better trained workforce, which is more widely spread.”
An increase in the number of local practitioners with higher qualifications should also have a widespread impact across the country’s optical workforce in terms of collaboration and upskilling, Williams added.
Practitioners are urged to contact the LOC for an application form.
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