On the inside track in Glasgow

Catching up with exhibitors

Delegates from across the UK and Ireland gathered at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow on 20 and 21 January for Eyecare Glasgow – providing a great opportunity to gain CPD points at the start of the new three-year cycle.

Some 220 delegates attended the conference on the Sunday and 160 on the Monday – attending a choice of two clinical tracks, mainly aimed at optometrists, as well as a dispensing track and a student event. The student event was attended by 19 enthusiastic delegates at various stages in their optometric career.

Proceedings began with a tribute to Dr Graeme Kennedy, the much-loved senior lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University who sadly passed away in May 2024.

There followed the keynote lecture of the conference delivered by ophthalmologist, Zach Koshy, from Vision Scotland. He spoke about the future of ophthalmology – and how he saw technology and artificial intelligence (AI) revolutionising how we manage patients between primary and secondary care.

Stimulating discussions

Trying out new products

The dispensing track kicked off with a peer discussion from EssilorLuxottica on four generic problems patients can have with their spectacles. The different cases stimulated great discussion among the dispensing opticians (DOs) present.

Next up was the ABDO discussion for DOs, titled ‘What you can do?’ It was led by myself and Brenda Rennie, ABDO vice president. The cases we discussed included skin lesions, dry eye and a specific contact lens patient problem. The contact lens scenario discussed the need for contact lens patients to have functional spectacles – and how we all tackle this issue differently.

There followed a fascinating workshop by Francesca Marchetti and Spencer Parkes, who discussed how to build the perfect professional. The duo looked at the qualities needed to be a successful professional and why people break the General Optical Council’s Standards of Practice.

The Sunday finished with a fascinating discussion led by the organiser of the event, DO Stuart Wellings. Stuart spoke about ‘Logical fallacies and how to avoid fallacious reasoning in communication’. Stuart even quoted some Latin, giving an example of when people confuse correlation as causation. We have all experienced misunderstandings through poor communication, and it is vital to dispel common myths as early as possible.

It was time for celebrations on the Sunday evening with the annual Eyecare Awards. (Note to self: do not miss the awards dinner next year.)

A wonderful relaxed and fun evening was had by everyone, and there were a couple of notable wins among the DOs present. Dan Scott was named the DO of the Year, while Myopia Management Leader of the Year went to Emily McAlpine of Opticare Opticians in Glasgow. Emily saw off the prestigious practice Tompkins, Knight & Sons to take home the trophy.

Time for a portfolio career?

After delivering the final session on Sunday, and having danced the night away at the awards dinner, Stuart Wellings kicked off Monday’s sessions with a discussion on ‘Jobs versus careers’.

It was clear from Stuarts’s enthusiasm that he does not just have a ‘job’ in optics, he is completely invested in everything he does and clearly enjoys it. Perhaps one of the reasons for his enjoyment is that he has what we now call a ‘portfolio career’ – with a few different roles as DO, ABDO examiner and conference organiser and speaker.

Celebrations at the Eyecare Awards

Looking at the latest GOC registrant satisfaction survey tells us that many in optics really are not very happy – and as many as 26 per cent are considering leaving the profession altogether. We must attempt to create a plan to ensure we get the most out of our careers.

Sofia Fazal from Hoya then gave us an overview of occupational lenses and how they can be used in different occupations. Sofia explained that every workplace situation is unique to that individual, so why not have an individual solution? I always think we wear different shoes for each different activity, so why not different spectacles?

Of course, one of the great things about in-person conferences is the opportunity to meet up with people you haven’t seen for some time. On this occasion, I bumped into an old friend and great contact lens advocate in Shail Patel.

Shail presented a fascinating workshop looking at how to personalise myopia management options for the individual patient. Each practice should offer a variety of methods to manage myopia, and consider referring to another practice if it is felt the best method of correction cannot be offered.

Communication and myopia

Communication was a constant theme throughout the weekend, and Linzi Sansum from the RNIB spoke about how to improve communication for those with sight loss and more complex needs. As both an optometrist and eyecare clinical liaison officer, Linzi used her skills from both roles to help delegates improve their confidence and skills in communicating with visually impaired patients.

Gonioscopy masterclass with Vision Scotland

Last but by no means least, we had the Scotlens duo of Scott Brown and Pauline Bradford educating us on myopia and what influences its progression. They looked at the most recent studies, put them into understandable language, and gave advice on some of the products available to slow the progression of myopia. Outdoor time and avoidance of screen time were high on that list.

As well as the CPD programme workshops, two skills workshops were held in the exhibition area with Keeler teaching BIO headset basics, and Vision Scotland running a gonioscopy masterclass with a virtual reality slit lamp.

We also had interactive CPD boards with topics covering GDPR, handling complaints, prescription analysis, Vision Care for Homeless People, understanding headaches with the Brain Tumour Charity, contact lens case records, minor eye conditions cases and independent prescribing case records. There were also some fun challenges to help raise money for the Brain Tumour Charity with Mario Kart and a putting green.

Dates for your diary

Make a date in your diary for upcoming CPD events: Eyecare Huddersfield on 18 May and Eyecare Birmingham on 21 September. Both events will feature a dedicated dispensing CPD track and a large exhibition with lunch and refreshments provided.

Eyecare will be back at the Hilton Hotel Glasgow on 18 and 19 January 2026.

Find out more about all events on the Eyecare Education website.