EyePod: The optometry podcast

In this second episode of the OPO special edition podcast, Daniel speaks to two OPO journal authors; Paddy Gun MCOptom, Principal Optometrist for  Education and Training at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, and Emily  Charlesworth MCOptom, Clinical Research Optometrist at Bradford  University. In the first half of the podcast, Daniel talks to Paddy about the results of th...

In this two-part special OPO edition of the podcast, Daniel and Martin speak to College scholars, Associate Professor Keziah Latham FCOptom and  Doctor Jane Macnaughton FCOptom from Anglia Ruskin University. They discuss their research paper, asking if patient-identified ‘comfortable’ print size is a useful clinical parameter for low vision reading assessment. Look out for the second episode...

In this episode of WebinarXtra, Paramdeep talks to Dr Manbir Nagra MCOptom following her webinar on contact lenses. In her webinar, Dr Nagra provided a summary of recent developments in the field of contact lenses and considered the groundwork required to ensure ECPs are prepared for the expected changes. Dr Nagra answers all those questions there wasn't time to cover during the live webinar. Dr N...

In this episode, Daniel and Martin speak to Principal Optometrist, Denise Voon MCOptom, and Retinal Consultant Ophthalmologist, Mr Markus Groppe, about their unique AMD Medical Management Pathway at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. The pair discuss: how the AMD service was set up, offering an efficient one-stop-shop; the benefits to patients of the ‘treat and extend’ model of care; and how to...

Our Clinical advisor Daniel Hardiman-McCartney talks to Elaine Styles optometrist and co-founder of Vision Care for Homeless People, about eye exams, dispensing, glass repairs and referrals for the many different groups of people without a home. They discuss: the barriers to receiving eye care; the most common reason for homelessness, specific factors important to dispensing glasses; working with...

Dr Melanie Hingorani  FRCOphth Clinical Lead for Eye Care Restoration and Transformation at NHS England, and the College's clinical adviser, Daniel Hardiman-McCartney FCOptom, discuss the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on referrals, patient outcomes, the changes on eye care that the pandemic has brought, and how eye care might look in the future.

Professor Leon Davies FCOptom, Editor of OiP, and Professor Shahina Pardhan MCOptom, Director of Vision and Eye Research Institute at ARU, discuss the impact of COVID-19 on eye health and eyecare. They look at the evidence around the link between COVID-19 and sore eyes, photophobia and watery eyes, and the effect of the pandemic on contact lens wearers. They also focus on the need to inform patien...

After optometrist Tanjit Dosanjh's own father was imprisoned for a serious criminal offence 2003, he knew that he wanted to do all he could to change the lives of those entering the system. He used his own knowledge and skills to set up The Prison Optician Trust, which provides offenders with training in optics and a brighter future away from crime. He believes that other professions should do the...

In this episode, Daniel has a fascinating conversation with Professor Jose-Luis Jimenez, aerosol expert and fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder, USA. In July last year, Professor Jimenez was one of 239 experts in multiple scientific fields who signed an open letter to the CDC and WHO (1) urging them to recogni...

In this episode of WebinarXtra, Daniel talks to Consultant Ali Yagan following his webinar on common optic neuropathies, where he presented cases on different types of optic neuropathies and optic nerve swelling, to help optometrists identify urgent situations and when patients need to be managed as an emergency. Ali answers all those questions there wasn't time to cover during the live webinar. A...

In this episode of WebinarXtra, Clinical Adviser, Dr Paramdeep Bilkhu MCOptom, asks Professor Kathryn Saunders FCOptom and Dr Sara McCullough MCOptom questions there wasn't time to answer during their live webinar. The webinar discussed recent findings from the part College-funded Northern Ireland Childhood Errors of Refraction (NICER) Study, and how it can help optometrists identify children at r...

In this episode, Martin talks to Dr Joanne Wood - a Professor at Queensland University of Technology, Australia - about her latest research published in Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics (OPO) on how “Refractive Blur Affects Judgement of Pedestrian Walking Direction at Night”.  And Daniel speaks with the College’s own PR Manager, Ann Marie Stevens and Marketing and Communications Executive,...

In this episode of WebinarXtra, Daniel talks to Michelle Hanratty MCOptom Dip Tp(IP) on how to decide what is best for your patient. Michelle - an Independent Prescribing Optometrist in private hospital practice - provides guidance on how to determine when to manage or monitor a patient’s condition and when to refer. Conditions include flashes and floaters, PVD, pseudophakic cystoid macular degene...

In this episode Daniel and Martin interview not one, but two special guests. Martin, a new parent himself, discusses eye-related issues to look out for in newborns with Dr Gill Adams, a consultant paediatric ophthalmologist and strabismologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital. Daniel speaks with Mental Health Counsellor, David Beeney, following his webinar for Bitesize, about how we can take better care...

Dr Rowan Candy delivered the keynote lecture at our recent virtual conference, Optometry Tomorrow Bitesize, on young children who are at risk for strabismus and amblyopia. The session looked at the refractive and ocular motor development of infants and preschoolers in the context of clinical assessment and care. In this episode of WebinarXtra, College President - Colin Davidson FCOptom - asks Dr C...

In this episode of WebinarXtra, Daniel catches up with Dr Benjamin Wakerley to answer questions there just wasn't time to cover during the live event. In his webinar, Dr Wakerley spoke about different types of headache with a focus on migraines, and the red flag symptoms and "eye signs" to look out for. Dr Benjamin Wakerley is a Consultant Neurologist at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Tr...

Martin and Daniel bring you another WebinarXtra, where we answer questions there just wasn't enough time to answer during our live session. This time, Daniel talks to Dr Dan Rosser MCOptom FAAO DipTp(IP) DipGlauc about two common laser interventions for glaucoma and related conditions: Laser Peripheral Iridotomy and Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty.  Watch a recording of the webinar and earn o...

This week Martin and Daniel bring you another WebinarXtra covering all those questions there wasn't time to answer during the webinar. In this episode, College Clinical Adviser Paramdeep Bilkhu MCOptom talks to Rhys Harrison - a consultant at the Bristol Eye Hospital, University Hospitals Bristol & Weston NHS Trust. Rhys' webinar was aimed at community optometrists and how they can identify pa...

In this episode of WebinarXtra, Clinical Advisers Daniel Hardiman-McCartney FCOptom and Dr Paramdeep Bilkhu MCOptom, answer questions there wasn't time to cover during their webinar, which discussed recent changes to the Guidance for Professional Practice and how this will affect you in practice. Watch a recording of the webinar and earn one non-interactive CET point until 16 December 2021: h...

The world of nutrition and nutritional supplements can sometimes be a minefield for both patients and optometrists. In this “Take Over” episode of the College's podcast, optometrist and avid listener, Sophie Hinton MCOptom speaks to Dr Rani Banik, New York neuro-ophthalmologist, and functional medicine MD, about the role of nutrition in eye care. Following her own experience with migraines, Dr Ban...

In January 2021, a national lockdown was reintroduced in England. Now the whole of the UK is in lockdown and, in accordance with each nation's government directives, primary care is open and optometry remains in Amber Phase. The College hosted a webinar on 14 January with a panel of representatives from The College, ABDO,AOP, FODO and GOC, answering questions from practitioners. Although, we aimed...

With the end of an extraordinary year approaching, Martin and Daniel thought it was time for a bit of nostalgia. Having recently stepped down from her role after nearly 20 years as The College's Clinical Adviser, Dr Susan Blakeney FCOptom takes a historical trip down memory lane with our Museum Curator, Neil Handley. They talk about what it's like representing the profession in the media; providin...

Choroidal naevi can be difficult to distinguish from melanomas, which means that many patients with benign tumours are referred to hospital eye clinics while urgent treatment of those with melanoma is delayed. In this episode of the College's podcast, Optometry in Practice Editorial Board member, Dr Lindsay Rountree MCOptom talks to Professor Bertil Damato PhD FRCOphth FCOptom about a scoring syst...

In this episode of WebinarXtra, Daniel talks to Simon Frackiewicz MCOptom DipTp(IP) who answers all those questions there wasn't time to cover during his popular webinar on ocular motility. Simon's webinar covered the anatomy of the cranial nerves involved in ocular motility, their surrounding structures, and the common causes of nerve palsy. Simon works as an optometrist and orthoptist both in a...

Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) is a common, but little known condition which refers to the silent visual hallucinations experienced by people who have lost part or all of their sight. They can often be distressing for patients and misdiagnosed by professionals as being a mental health issue. In this episode of the College's podcast, Martin and Daniel bring you a fascinating conversation with Judith...