The College of Optometrists and Public Health England have mapped the College-accredited Professional Certificate in Medical Retina to the new level three Diploma for Health Screeners (Diabetic Eye).
The alignment allowed optometrists who study for the certificate to cover all requirements for the level three diploma except the diabetic retinopathy imaging unit, without extra NHS England training.
Jackie Martin, director of education at the College of Optometrists, said: ‘This is a great development for those who complete the Professional Certificate in Medical Retina. Optometrists with our revised qualification will be automatically exempt from the majority of the NHS England DESP training.
‘It means if you have the revised College-accredited qualification, and you are working where optometry-based diabetic retinopathy screening programmes are commissioned, you could be part of the local service pathway with a qualification specifically aimed at optometrists, rather than completing a course designed for a range of healthcare professionals.
‘We’re expecting that this alignment will make the professional certificate more attractive to a range of optometrists; those practising in areas where DESP schemes are commissioned, using optometrists and hospital optometrists looking to get involved with secondary and arbitration grading and optometrists who have an interest in medical retina and diabetic retinal imaging.’