“Thank you for your ongoing membership”

For all of us in optometry and beyond, this past year has been dominated by the enormous challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope you and your families are well. On behalf of everyone at the AOP, thank you for your ongoing membership.

Throughout 2020, the AOP has continued to do everything we can to provide the support, protection and representation you expect from us.

In March we set up our online coronavirus information hub, so members can easily find all our specialist employment law, clinical and regulatory advice and guidance relating to the pandemic. The hub is updated frequently as we respond to rapidly changing government and NHS guidance

We have developed specialist webinars to help members adapt to the new reality of clinical practice during COVID-19. We also adapted our planned events programme so it could be delivered online, enabling thousands of members to continue their education, training and professional development during lockdown.

Throughout 2020, the AOP has continued to do everything we can to provide the support, protection and representation you expect from us

We have worked along with other UK optometry bodies, as part of the Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee, to negotiate better NHS support for optical practices in England during the pandemic, and we have asked for members’ input via surveys and consultation responses to help us influence decisions about the future of our profession on your behalf.

We know our members place great value on the peace of mind the insurance cover and our legal defence provide, along with the news, features and CET in OT. These will, of course, continue to be a core part of our offering, alongside the many other benefits which are provided as standard to all our members.

As a member, you will have received the renewals pack with further information about any action you need to take to renew your membership. I hope you will remain a valued member of the AOP into 2021 – and look forward to updating you on the Association’s plans for next year.