This article is best viewed in a PDF Format.
|
|
After nearly two years of meetings and much heart searching about loss of identity, the BCLA came into existence on January 1, 1977. The new organisation was formed from The Contact Lens Society (CLS), the Association of Contact lens Practitioners (ACLP) and the Association of Dispensing Opticians Contact Lens Study Group (ADOCLSG) with the support of the Medical Contact Lens Association (MCLA).
The CLS was the oldest and largest of the three groups and was itself a collaboration between ophthalmology and optometry. It was founded in 1947 when contact lenses had been fitted in the UK for only about 20 years. Historically, most lens fitting was carried out by dispensing opticians under the supervision or direction of ophthalmologists, with the involvement of optometrists starting only in the mid-1930s. The ACLP was founded in 1949 by optometrists to look after their specific professional interests. Full members were entitled to use the suffix FACLP following examination or the submission of 50 case histories.
As the names suggest the ADOCLSG was founded by dispensing opticians, in 1966, and the MCLA by ophthalmologists, in 1965, to develop their specific interests.
The formation of the BCLA, with four sections for optometry, dispensing, ophthalmology and industry personnel, was realised following a letter in 1975 from Michael Jaggs, ADOCLSG chairman, to Andrew Gasson, then president of the CLS, suggesting that amalgamation of the two organisations would be mutually beneficial. By the time of the BCLA's official incorporation on October 27, 1977 membership was 381, rising to 1,126 in 1987 and over 1,750 in the current year.
Conferences have been held annually, with 627 attending the first in Torquay in 1977 and over 1,000 delegates from 40 countries at the 2007 meeting in Manchester. The BCLA now holds the largest contact lens conference in the world, with an impressive record of distinguished lecturers on the scientific programme. This has been organised since 1996 by Jonathan Walker.
Publications
Evening scientific meetings have gradually evolved into a pattern with a debate or panel discussion in January, a medical lecture in the spring, the presidential address in September and the Pioneers' Lecture in November. In 1996 the association's newsletter, started in 1977, was renamed BCLA News and became a professionally produced publication. This was again renamed as Contact in October 1997 and is distributed to all BCLA members to keep them up to date with contact lens-related matters.
The Journal of the BCLA was first published in January 1978 and appeared three times a year, moving to quarterly in1980. In June 1984 the journal changed to A4 format, was refereed and was accepted for abstracting and indexing in British Medicine, Survey of Ophthalmology and Zentralblatt Ophthalmologie. The name was changed to Contact Lens and Anterior Eye in 1997 to reflect the wider remit of BCLA activities and it incorporated the US publication International Contact Lens Clinic in 2003. This year six issues of the journal will be published.
The BCLA's original website was implemented by Philip Morgan in 1998. It was redesigned by Tony Hough in 2001 and is constantly updated to carry information about courses and educational programmes. There are also virtual CET lectures, relevant links and conference booking online. Since 2005 the Association has been able to communicate news alerts to members by means of email.
Research awards
The BCLA also funds research awards and lectures. The Dallos Award, devised in 1982 to commemorate the life and work of Josef Dallos, funds a research project related to contact lenses or the anterior eye. The George Nissel Memorial Lecture followed the year after to commemorate the work of the first independent manufacturer of contact lenses and manufacturing equipment in the UK. This was changed in 2004 to the Pioneers' Lecture to honour all of the pioneers of contact lenses.
The Da Vinci Award was devised in 1992 for the most interesting completed project regarding contact lenses by those who are not established researchers, while the BCLA Medal, first presented in 1993, is awarded for outstanding achievement in the field of contact lenses. Otto Wichterle was the first recipient for his work on soft lenses.
The Irving Fatt Memorial Lecture, started 1997, is aimed at postgraduate students, while the ABDO Prize dating from the same year is awarded to the student gaining the highest marks in the ABDO contact lens practical examination.
In 2000, the first BCLA Grant was awarded to Dr Graham Macalister towards his research on the implications of vCJD in contact lens practice. The BCLA Fellowship, originally awarded in 2000, was revised in 2006 with the criteria for acceptance to include a variety of possible submissions and a viva voce assessment.
From time to time the BCLA council also bestows honorary life membership on members who have made a significant contribution to the affairs of the association. The first was awarded to Norman Bier and there have been 16 other distinguished individuals honoured in this way.
Recent times
Since 1989 the BCLA has become the leading provider of contact lens education in the UK outside of the colleges and universities for both contact lens professionals and support staff. The commitment to education is underlined by the publication of textbooks by Deborah Sweeney, Nathan Efron, Donald Korb and Fiona Stapleton and three booklets concerning the history of contact lenses both at home and abroad. The BCLA has also become the voice of the UK contact lens world, reacting to political and consumer stories in the press.
Over the 30-year history there have been remarkably few new faces in the BCLA's London office. The first general secretary was Mrs G M Wynne-Green who for several years had held a similar position for the CLS. Sheila Tant took over the post between 1977 and 1984 and Vivien Freeman, the current incumbent, joined the BCLA in January 1985 as the first full-time member of staff. She was joined in 1997 by Anita Winkler as office manager and in January 2006 by James Barrett as assistant secretary (Conference and Events).
The success of the BCLA has been due to a series of dynamic, hard working presidents (pictured), council members and officers. Through their individual and collective contributions they have created an association of world renown. The members themselves have also played a very large part in the development by their constant support, thirst for knowledge and determination to develop their professional skills not only with contact lenses but also the wider issue of the anterior eye.
As can be seen from Table 1, the choice and performance of the lenses available has changed considerably since the inception of the BCLA. There are also significant differences in the commercial and political aspects of contact lens supply. Refractive surgery has become an alternative to contact lenses and spectacles are now much more popular as fashion items. Throughout all of these changes the BCLA has led the way for contact lenses and long may it continue.
? Contact lens historians Tim Bowden and Andrew Gasson are authors of The BCLA: the first 30 years