AOP launches new peer support line

A peer-to-peer support line has been launched by the Association of Optometrists (AOP) to help eye care professionals experiencing stress or anxiety.

The line, which first appealed for volunteers earlier this year, would provide a listening service but stops short of providing advice, a statement said.

AOP chief executive Henrietta Alderman said: ‘The AOP Peer Support Line was borne out of findings from our 2016 research into the health and wellbeing of optometrists in the UK, and responds to the need for a different kind of support outside of our established legal, clinical or regulatory advice.

‘In the research, more than half of the respondents reported that they frequently work to tight deadlines and 63% said they do not have enough time to balance work and family responsibilities.’