AOP Council

Four speech bubbles in red, green, yellow, and blue, overlap and intersect over a light blue background

Optometrists in training and newly-qualified optometrists join AOP Council

The new roles on AOP Council are designed to represent the distinct stages of optometry training, qualification, and early career

AOP

21 Aug 6 min read

Illustration of medical professional standing and lines connecting them

A final thought

Sarah Lowry: “Extended pathways allow you to manage everyone who comes in”

AOP

07 Aug mins

An illustration in an abstract watercolour style of silhouettes of people, with speech bubbles in muticoloured shapes

In focus

Five factors shaping practice

AOP

06 Aug 10 min read

The AOP Councillors gather outside the glass front doors of the building, they are all looking up and smiling towards the camera

AOP Council meeting in five updates

AOP

17 Jun 6 min read

Karan is photographed in the library of the AOP offices, with rows of optometry and professional books behind him. He wears thin metal glasses and a checkered blue and green shirt

AOP Board welcomes new member

AOP

10 Jun

Emma Spofforth and Nizz Sabir sitting on an sofa holding the AOP chairman medal

Leadership, continuity and change: AOP chairman handover

AOP

08 Jun 7 min read

Illustration of a woman with a spade digging at a tree with light bulbs on

A final thought

Frances Jamieson: “Practice ownership represents freedom to me”

AOP

05 Jun 1 4 mins

Kevin Thompson after receiving the AOP’s Peter Yeo Award with Emma Spofforth and Nizz Sabir

Kevin Thompson receives AOP Peter Yeo Award

AOP

04 Jun

Councillors sitting at tables talking with hands raised at the November 2025 AOP Council meeting

AOP establishes new student and early career positions on its Council

AOP

27 May 5 min read

AOP announces new Council appointments

AOP

13 May

Councillors are seated around tables and looking towards the front of the room, they raise their hands in agreement with a statement

Five discussions from the spring AOP Council meeting

AOP

09 Apr 6 min read

Illustration of a head with a flower growing out of it and it being watered

A final thought

Judith Tate: “Clinical competence is only one part of what makes us effective practitioners”

AOP

02 Apr 4 mins

Johnathan Waugh and Rebecca Donnelly

AOP opens applications for Council

AOP

20 Mar

Councillors are seated around a table in the AOP offices. Dr Peter Hampson is reading a mind map they have produced and members are discussins the information with him

On the ground at the AOP

An AOP explainer on... 2026 Council nominations

AOP

10 Mar 2 mins

Johnathan Waugh

Johnathan Waugh: “You’ll definitely enjoy it, and you’ll definitely find it rewarding”

AOP

03 Mar

Rebecca Donnelly

Rebecca Donnelly: “If you care about the profession, you belong in the room, so put yourself forward”

AOP

02 Mar

Ben Lewis

Obituary: Ben Lewis OBE

Practitioner stories

27 Feb 5 min read

An illustration of an eye comprising on numbers

A final thought

Technology’s role in transforming eye care

AOP

03 Feb 5 mins

Illustration of a student wearing a graduation cap

A final thought

“It was one of the first things I learned about”

AOP

05 Dec 2025 4 mins

Dr Peter Hampson

The Dr Peter Hampson episode

AOP

26 Nov 2025

Habeed Rahman, Zahrah Khan, and Hannah Silcock

Pre-reg focus

The pre-reg path to qualification

Students and pre-regs

01 Aug 2025 10 min read

Council meeting

In focus

A picture of optometry: three AOP Councillors share insights

AOP

01 Aug 2025 8 min read

A final thought

“There have been times where others have seen strengths in me that I was unable to see myself”

AOP

01 Aug 2025 7 min read 1 8 mins

woman with pink hair smiling

AOP Council: updates from devolved nations, certificate of vision impairment, and refracting children

AOP

08 Jul 2025 8 min read

Cogs lead image

A final thought

“We are capable of providing more”

AOP

06 Jun 2025 4 mins

Group of professionals sharing ideas during a casual meeting in a bright, modern workspace

HOC election results announced

Hospital optometry

04 Jun 2025

Bonnie laughs during an AOP Council meeting

AOP appoints new Councillors

AOP

08 May 2025

Person filling in a form on a macbook

Voting opens for Hospital Optometrists Committee elections

Hospital optometry

23 Apr 2025

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Most popular across OT

An older man stands looking out a window

Tadalafil use associated with higher risk of glaucoma

Research

18 Aug

A woman smiles while wearing solar eclipse glasses

Moorfields Eye Hospital surgeon gives tips on staying safe during the solar eclipse

Patients

10 Aug 1

Harper poses outside of a hospital

An optometrist saved my life

“We will always be grateful that Charlotte recognised the signs when she did”

Patients

26 Jun 5 min read 1

A female optometrist performs a sight test with a slit lamp for a male patient

OFNC advises profession against committing to “unfunded” ERS until negotiations complete

Government and regulation

24 Jun 1

A toddler leans against a sofa holding a toy truck. One of his eyes is glowing with a white circle

An optometrist saved my life

“I knew straightaway that this was something that needed to be seen urgently”

Patients

20 Aug 5 min read

Most popular across AOP Council

Emma Spofforth and Nizz Sabir sitting on an sofa holding the AOP chairman medal

Leadership, continuity and change: AOP chairman handover

AOP

08 Jun 7 min read

Kevin Thompson after receiving the AOP’s Peter Yeo Award with Emma Spofforth and Nizz Sabir

Kevin Thompson receives AOP Peter Yeo Award

AOP

04 Jun

An illustration in an abstract watercolour style of silhouettes of people, with speech bubbles in muticoloured shapes

In focus

Five factors shaping practice

AOP

06 Aug 10 min read

Karan is photographed in the library of the AOP offices, with rows of optometry and professional books behind him. He wears thin metal glasses and a checkered blue and green shirt

AOP Board welcomes new member

AOP

10 Jun

Four speech bubbles in red, green, yellow, and blue, overlap and intersect over a light blue background

Optometrists in training and newly-qualified optometrists join AOP Council

AOP

21 Aug 6 min read

Chosen for you

A toddler leans against a sofa holding a toy truck. One of his eyes is glowing with a white circle

An optometrist saved my life

“I knew straightaway that this was something that needed to be seen urgently”

Patients

20 Aug 5 min read

A child plays with a toy astronaut and rocket

NICE consults on draft low-dose atropine guidance

NHS and health

13 Aug

Optometrist, Andrew Gillies, in front of Clark Optometrists on Orkney Island

Orkney Island optometry practice recruits new optometrist

Practitioner stories

19 Aug

A female optometrist performs a sight test with a slit lamp on a patient

AOP briefing unpacks GOC consultation on update to sight testing statement

AOP

13 Aug

Opening an independent optometry practice from scratch

Business and practice management

18 Aug 6 min read