Optician news in brief

More than 2,000 students have attended the Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Centre (WOPEC) since its launch in September 2009. WOPEC grew out of postgraduate training and accreditation that Cardiff University provided to support the Welsh Eye Care Initiative, and over 400 optometrists and dispensing opticians from Wales have continued to learn there. It has also attracted over 1,500 students from throughout the UK to study distance learning courses on glaucoma, cataract and low vision. In the next year WOPEC intends to launch two new ventures a flexible postgraduate-taught programme with 23 modules and a Wales-based case discussion programme.

The Optical Confederation has created an online survey to improve its 2012 Back to School children's eye exam campaign. It said that its vision was to make having a sight test as synonymous as buying new school uniform on parents' back to school checklists. The survey can be found on The Optical Confederation's website (www.opticalconfederation.org.uk) and should take less than five minutes to complete.