Paediatric low vision and diabetes in focus

Two conferences involving optometry in the specialist areas of children's low vision and diabetes have been announced for the spring.

Both events aim to help practitioners work in multi-disciplinary methods, and highlight key areas of working together with other healthcare providers.

Next month the three-day Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference (APC) will be held for over 3,000 healthcare professionals at Birmingham's NIA and ICC.

This is followed in May by the Integrated Children's Low Vision Services Conference 2006, organised by the RNIB.

This low vision event, which will be held at St Anne's College, Oxford, will include lectures and workshops in a single-day conference.

A presentation of case histories from around the UK, illustrating multi-disciplinary working - including a Welsh low vision scheme - will be one of the highlights of the day, as well as workshops on 'a parent's perspective' and 'psycho-social development'.

'The conference will challenge attendees to implement better working practice,' said Lorena Carrasco, administrator of the RNIB's low vision steering group. 'To help in promoting the idea of working in partnership, we're offering a half price attendance fee of 50 to any delegate who can find a colleague or another professional to attend.'

Diabetes UK, the charity which has organised the UK annual conference on the condition, has included in-depth sessions on diabetic screening.

The evidence base for screening will be explored in the morning, as well as what a national screening programme will look like.
In the afternoon session, 'Establishing a retinopathy screening programme' will be chaired by former College of Optometrists president Richard Broughton.

An insight into Northern Ireland's screening programme will be followed by AOP councillor Trevor Warburton speaking on 'Digital imaging - a guide to technobabble'.

The Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference will take place from March 29-31, and the Integrated Children's Low Vision Services Conference is scheduled for May 3.