Tom Little, the optometrist murdered in Afghanistan last August and 2010 International Optometrist of the Year, was posthumously awarded the US Medal of Freedom. His widow Libby accepted the US's highest civilian honour on her late husband's behalf from President Barack Obama in a ceremony.
A bill to expand the scope of practice of optometrists in the US state of Kentucky was approved by the state senate, causing controversy among eye surgeons. Senate Bill 110 would allow OOs to perform certain surgical procedures, such as removing lumps and bumps and using lasers to treat a few specified conditions. They would not be able to perform Lasik or any other procedure requiring general anaesthetic.
A former Specsavers hearing aid dispenser was banned from practising for a year according to the Birmingham Mail for ignoring a patient's ear infection. Pauline Lutwyche is alleged to have advised the female pensioner to put Vaseline in her ear. The Health Professions Council was told doctors later diagnosed a perforated ear drum. Lutwyche has since retired.
Blind people will lose £30 a week under the coalition government's reforms of disability benefits according to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). Under the plans, 1.6 million people currently claiming incapacity benefit will be migrated to employment support allowance from April 2011. This will force them to undergo what the RNIB describes as 'a flawed medical assessment process', the work capability assessment.
An outbreak of bacterial eye infections in Bangkok has been blamed on 'big eye' contact lenses. Four patients aged under 20 were diagnosed with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with one having worn the lenses for 23 months. The ophthalmologist treating them at Phra Nang Klao Hospital urged strict CL supervision among schoolchildren and checks on the sale of the lenses.