Plans were announced this week for the College to run assessments of the Minor Eye Conditions Service (Mecs) part II practical exam. Working with Locsu and Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Centre (Wopec), our sessions are being set up to provide additional capacity in response to the increasing number of optometrists wanting to be Mecs-qualified.
Our priority is to support members as they adapt to changes in their local area. We are passionate about developing optometrists to be the best they can be, whether they are looking to brush up their skills or increase their scope of practice. We have already seen an increase in the uptake of our higher qualifications.
In February, we wrote in Optician about the Foresight Project report, a College supported project, which examined the future of optometry. We described how optometrists needed to equip themselves for changes in practice, through continuous learning, as well as formal qualifications, and this Mecs qualification is another opportunity for optometrists to help future-proof their careers.
For that reason, the increasing number of optometrists preparing to undertake Mecs is very encouraging, and will enable optometrists to play a bigger role in the expansion of community eye care services. It will also make a difference for their patients.
The College is delighted to be working with others to raise standards for optometrists. We will continue to support our members in taking advantage of every opportunity.
Ian Humphreys, chief executive, the College of Optometrists