A new BSc optometry degree has been proposed by The University of the Highlands and Islands to address growing demand for eye care services in the region.
Managers at the university have submitted an initial proposal to the GOC and were working with stakeholders to develop the new course.
The Federation of (Ophthalmic and Dispensing) Opticians Educational Trust was providing expertise and funding to help develop the degree, a statement added.
Professor Crichton Lang, deputy principal of the university, said: ‘We are delighted to be working in innovative ways with industry partners to develop and deliver this BSc degree in the region. This initiative will boost career opportunities, strengthen the supply of qualified optometrists to the industry and contribute to the overall delivery of high-quality health and social care to our communities. These benefits all align fully with our vision for the growing impact of the university’s School of Health, Social Care and Life Sciences.’
Optometry Scotland supported the initiative, adding that it recognised the ‘difficulties recruiting and retaining optometrists in the remote and rural areas of Scotland’.
Hal Rollason, chair of Federation of (Ophthalmic and Dispensing) Opticians Scotland, said: ‘The development of this course is a direct response to the need to upskill and expand the optometric professional workforce so that we can play our full part in meeting the growing and changing eye health needs of the population. FODO is very proud to support that work.’
The new optometry course would form part of the university’s wider plans to develop a School of Health, Social Care and Life Sciences to expand and align its curriculum to meet the needs of the region.