Scope Eyecare 2026 IP bursary winner named

Anne Wardroper, an optometrist based in Salisbury, has received the bursary towards independent prescribing course fees

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Anne stands in front of a world map, smiling for the camera. She has blonde-brown hair past her shoulders and wears a navy shirt

Anne Wardroper

21 July 2026

The winner of the sixth Scope independent prescriber (IP) bursary awards has been named.

The bursary is designed to support optometrists in achieving their IP qualification by providing a bursary towards course fees.

The winner of this year’s award and £3000 IP bursary has been named as Anne Wardroper, a Salisbury-based optometrist.

Wardroper said: “It means the world to me to be awarded the Scope independent prescriber bursary because I would love to volunteer on board Mercy Ships as an ophthalmic provider – a role which requires an optometrist to be therapeutically qualified.”

The Mercy Ships charity has transformed former cruise liners into hospital ships, providing free surgery to some of the world’s most underserved communities across sub-Saharan Africa.

Wardroper added that gaining an IP qualification would enable her to better support local hospital eye services, Community Urgent Eyecare Services, and GP services.

“I am incredibly grateful to the Scope IP bursary judges for supporting this vision and helping make my independent prescribing training possible,” Wardroper said.

The competitive application process saw five finalists present clinical case studies and discuss their aspirations for IP to a judging panel chaired by Professor Nick Rumney and including Sarah Farrant and Connan Tam.

The remaining finalists included: Arun Overton, Vision Express, Ponders End; Gemma Cullen, Cathedral Eye Clinic, Belfast; Maria Dovey, Rawlings Opticians, Great Bookham & Surrey Hospitals, and Tabitha Reed, Specsavers, Uckfield. Each finalist received a £100 educational voucher.

Edel Duffy, medical director at Scope, commented: “The standard of applications this year was exceptional and demonstrates the profession’s continued commitment to developing advanced clinical skills.”

Emphasising the “increasingly important” role of independent prescribing in modern eye care, Duffy added: “We are proud to support practitioners on this journey and congratulate Anne and all of our finalists on their achievements. We look forward to seeing the positive impact they will make in practice.”