The Emerging tech and future practice edition

Editor’s picks

In focus

“Massive impact” of MECS cancellation in East Sussex outlined two years on

OT hears about the impact the decommissioning of local MECS schemes have had on practitioners and patients in East Sussex

Patients 06 February 9 min read 1

In focus

Northern Ireland restores parity for Universal Credit recipients

Government and regulation

06 February 9 min read

100% Optical

The countdown is on

Career development

06 February 3 min read

A day in the life of a business owner

“It’s important that we are communicating”

Business and practice management

06 February 5 min read 5 mins

Supplier insight

Designing for sustainability in sports eyewear

Products

04 February 6 min read

IP and me

Managing glaucoma patients as an IP optometrist

Patients

06 February 6 min read 6

A final thought

Technology’s role in transforming eye care

AOP

03 February 5 mins

Life in practice

A man wearing blue medical scrubs and gloves sits on a wooden chair holding a tablet. He is indoors in a bright room with large windows behind him. Next to him, on an upholstered armchair, is an open silver case filled with optician tools and eyeglass frames, labelled “SightWatcher Mobile Opticians.”

Decoding domiciliary

Providing domiciliary eye care across England with SightWatcher Mobile Opticians

Domiciliary

03 February

Four men in black tie stand on a stage at an awards ceremony, smiling for the camera. One man holds a trophy while another holds a microphone, with a large screen behind them displaying the word “Franchise”

How I got here

From Boots pre-reg of the year to clinical director and franchisee

Career development

03 February 8 min read mins

A smiling woman with long brown hair takes a selfie outdoors near a landscaped water feature with stone steps and greenery. Modern buildings with signage are visible in the background, and part of another person’s face appears at the edge of the frame

Life as a locum

Locum lessons from 20 years in practice

Locuming

06 February 7 min read 2 8 mins

A woman with long brown hair sits beside a slit-lamp eye examination machine in a clinical room, smiling toward the camera. She is wearing a dark green sweater and is seated at a white desk with ophthalmic equipment

You had me at hospital

“Hospitals need to think differently and for the long-term"

Hospital optometry

03 February 5 min read

A man wearing a black graduation gown with a bright yellow stole smiles while standing on an ornate stone staircase inside a grand, historic building. Other graduates in similar attire descend the staircase behind him, framed by decorative arches, carved details, and wrought-iron railings

A day in the life of a business owner

“It’s important that we are communicating”

Business and practice management

06 February 5 min read 5 mins

A woman with long brown hair stands in an eye examination room beside a slit lamp machine. She is smiling softly and wearing a white top with a dark cardigan. An eye chart is visible on the wall behind her, along with other optometry equipment, a computer workstation, and a bottle of hand sanitizer on the table

Pre-reg focus

“I feel much more equipped to deal with visually impaired patients”

Students and pre-regs

04 February 3 mins

Senior man with bad eyesight looking at smartphone at home

IP and me

Managing glaucoma patients as an IP optometrist

Patients

06 February 6 min read 6

Purple background with a cartoon iPad showing a picture of a person’s eye

A conversation about...

The emerging role of technology in early detection and patient care

Patients

06 February 12 min read

CPD

Our latest CPD article exams available online in the CPD

The locum: part of the team or not?

This CPD exam considers the two-way relationship between a locum and the host practice, highlighting ways to optimise working arrangements from both perspectives

Author: Peter Greedy BSc (Hons) MCOptom PCC

Closed: 01 May 2026

Links

Sponsored by:

Ocular manifestations of Down syndrome

This CPD exam provides an overview of Down syndrome, summarising ocular manifestations, practical tips for clinical examination and advice to help these patients improve their learning

Author: Dr Aoife Hunter PhD, MCOptom, Prof Cert LV, Prof Cert Med Ret

Closed: 01 May 2026

Links

Sponsored by:

Influence of the visual environment on myopia

This CPD exam presents an introduction to myopia and systematically reviews the evidence regarding the role of visual environmental factors in its development

Author: Dr Sayantan Biswas BSc MPhil PhD FHEA

Closed: 01 May 2026

Links

Sponsored by:

Visual ergonomics for the computer user: an update

This CPD exam explores how practitioners can evaluate the visual ergonomic requirements of patients in order to optimise visual solutions

Author: Claire Allcock

Closed: 01 May 2026

Links

Sponsored by:

What’s happening...

Meg stands in front of a presentation screen reading ‘Maximising your Social Media’

Dream team

A peek inside… Yorkshire Eyewear

Practice team

04 February

A woman wearing a cream knit one-piece with long sleeves models a pair of large thin metal frames in an oversized square style. The effect of the camera is soft

What’s happening in...

Eyewear launches at 100% Optical

Products

04 February

A model wearing black turtleneck and black puffer jacket wears large sunglasses with circular lenses and aviator-style metal detailing. The frames have gold side shields

Latest launches

“We’ve chosen to partner with wonderful brands who I think really deserve to get exposure in the UK”

Products

04 February 7 min read

Sandra wears Havana eyewear with an upswept cat’s eye style. She wears a white blouse with striped orange-brown trousers

Me and my glasses

Sandra Battistel: “Eyewear is so unique, in that it defines our personality”

Products

04 February

A woman in a black leather coat holds a pair of smart glasses up to the camera. The glasses have thick black frames and white text is visible on the lenses. The woman is on-the-go, walking in a city

Asked and answered

Emerging technology and smart eyewear

Practice team

04 February 4 mins

Three cyclists in sportswear with the GBR branding for the Great British Cycling Team in white and neon green, white helmets and navy shorts. The central figure wears sports frames with orange lenses. Behind him is another cyclist with black wraparound frames

Supplier insight

Designing for sustainability in sports eyewear

Products

04 February 6 min read

Also in this edition...

A security biometric retina scanner on woman’s eye

The CEO’s view

Our movements over the past 60 days

AOP

03 February

A group sitting at circular tables are all turned to listen to a presentation. They all wear headphones which glow purple-blue around the edge

100% Optical

The countdown is on

Career development

06 February 3 min read

A purple image showing two people in front of a giant cartoon eye

In focus

“Massive impact” of MECS cancellation in East Sussex outlined two years on

Patients

06 February 9 min read 1

A woman uses a calculator while reviewing a document

In focus

Northern Ireland restores parity for Universal Credit recipients

Government and regulation

06 February 9 min read

Woman standing in front of Valeda machine in a testing room

I could not live without…

The Valeda Light Delivery System

Patients

06 February 3 mins

A top-down view of five people seated around a circular table, each holding coffee cups

On the ground at the AOP

An AOP explainer on... the CPD Lunch Club

AOP

15 January

A final thought

An illustration of an eye comprising on numbers

A final thought

Technology’s role in transforming eye care

Optometrist, JVP at Millicans and Mansfield Opticians, and AOP Councillor representing franchisee/joint venture partnership optometrists, Rebecca Donnelly, discusses the impact and opportunities of advancing technology for optometry

AOP 03 February 5 mins

Edition archive

June/July 2026

The Practice resilience edition

OT delves into the realities of life as a practice owner – uncovering the strategies shaping optometry businesses today, and what it takes to remain resilient

Read the edition

April/May 2026

The Core values edition

OT explores the essential non-clinical values and skills that practitioners develop through experience, and how these values shape patient-focused care and practitioner wellbeing

Read the edition