Specialist training for optometrists to support those directly or indirectly affected by cancer has been launched by Boots Opticians and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Eye care professionals will be trained with skills to help those living with cancer, as well as those experiencing ocular side effects from treatment.
Rupa Thobhani, an optometrist at Boots Opticians, shared the story of treating her patient Deborah who she referred for further review.
‘During her routine eye test, I noticed the lesion on her eye, revealing indications of possible nodulo-ulcerative basal cell carcinoma. I shared my suspicions with Deborah and upon further evaluation I found out that she’d previously had skin cancer,’ Thobhani said.
Thobhani added that the Boots Opticians and Macmillan training modules highlighted the importance of looking for anything out of the ordinary around the eyes, face, nose and ears.
Boots Opticians said patients could find an optometrist with this training at 270 of its practices and it would roll it out to another 30 this year.
