Optics faces slump in student recruitment

An industry-wide campaign is urgently needed to raise the number and quality of applicants to optometry and dispensing courses, a meeting at London's City University heard this week.

Speaking for the British Universities Committee of Optometry (BUCO), Professor David Thomson told an invited audience of employers, professional representatives, university staff and students that the number of applicants to UK optometry courses had 'declined dramatically' and was now half what it was in the mid-90s while the number of places had almost doubled, making it difficult to recruit high-quality students.

'We're very close to the stage where we're going to have to accept virtually everyone who applies,' said Professor Thomson.