Presidents and chairmen of the optical bodies hosted a day of presentations, an open forum and a gala dinner this week to mark the annual general meetings of three Optical Confederation (OC) members.
Optical group members met at the Pullman Hotel, Euston, London to a welcome by OC chairman Don Grocott before a remembrance of deceased members conducted by acting chief executive of the AOP Richard Carswell.
A presentation on National Eye Health Week was followed by the highlight of the day, an OC Brains Trust. The executive officers of the five optical bodies in the OC, the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, the Association of Contact Lens Manufacturers, the Association of Optometrists, the Federation of Manufacturing Opticians and the Federation of Dispensing and Ophthalmic Opticians (FODO), styled themselves as the Brains Trust panel to take questions and discuss issues of the day. A full report on the discussion will be published in next week's Optician.
This was followed by a talk on successful contact lens practice delivered by the Optician Awards Contact Lens Practitioner of the Year winner, David Gould.
Welcoming members to the annual general meeting of FODO, chair Jayne Rawlinson commended the annual report to members and said much had been achieved in a tough year. Significant advances had been made in ophthalmic public health and eye health was now recognised as a national priority. FODO also stood firm on the principle of no money, no additional work and had made progress in stopping unnecessary regulation and burdens on the optical frontline.
The evening programme started with a drinks reception and concluded with a black tie dinner and dance.