AOP confirms Locum Clinical Skills Conference will return in 2024

The AOP hosted its first-ever Locum Clinical Skills Conference last month (27 November), which sold out.

Attended by 90 practitioners and held at the ABDO National Resource Centre, the one-day event was run in partnership with Johnson & Johnson Vision.

The day, which was accredited for 15 interactive CPD points, featured discussion workshops on a range of key clinical topics, including binocular vision, myopia, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and glaucoma, and contact lens comfort.

Reflecting on the conference, AOP head of education and OT clinical editor, Dr Ian Beasley, said: “The AOP’s inaugural locum clinical skills conference was a huge success, bringing together practitioners from a variety of settings to share their experiences on a range of key clinical topics.

“Importantly, the circuit-style nature of the event allowed delegates to attend all sessions and consolidate their knowledge on myopia management, binocular vision, OCT and glaucoma and contact lenses.”

Sessions were delivered by optometrist and visiting professor to City, University of London and to London South Bank University, Professor Bruce Evans; specialist optometrist at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Matt Roney, and Johnson & Johnson Vision faculty members, James Hall, Neelam Patel, Robyn Marsden and Marie-Therese Hall.

Speaking about the conference, Johnson & Johnson Vision professional education and development manager for the UK and Ireland, Sheetal Patel, told OT: “We were delighted to be able to support the recent AOP Locum Skills Conference, and to meet with so many enthusiastic locum optometrists. We appreciate that locums are an important part of the eyecare sector, so it was fantastic to be part of an event tailored to their unique educational needs. The whole day was a great success, and we look forward to supporting future locum events.” 

The AOP confirmed that it will be expanding the format in 2024 during the final year of the current three-year CPD cycle.