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Optometry – The evolving scope of hospital optometry – Flame Health Blog
Optometry - The evolving scope of hospital optometry
OT finds out about advances in hospital optometry. This is with the principal optometrist for education and training at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Paddy Gunn.
Since Paddy Gunn first started working at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital in 2011, he has seen the optometry department grow. Both in terms of size and the scope of practice of the team.
In 2018, he undertook training to perform laser procedures. After performing more than 1000 procedures himself, Gunn now supervises ophthalmologists and optometrists learning the skill.
Gunn’s experience of watching the optometry department grow and expand into new areas of practice is part of a broader trend.
“What was considered core optometry has probably changed – back in 2015, areas like glaucoma were considered an extended role. I think glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration monitoring are really seen as bread-and-butter hospital optometry now,” Gunn shared with OT.
In February this year, Gunn and colleagues published research in Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics examining the scope of hospital optometry in the UK. A survey of 129 hospital eye service leads was conducted in September 2020.
The results were compared to findings from the first survey to examine scope of practice among hospital optometrists in the UK. Undertaken by Harper et al in 2015. The latest study revealed an almost 40% increase in the proportion of hospitals with optometry departments. Up from 79 in 2015 to 129 in 2020.
Alongside an increase in the number of hospital optometrists since 2015, hospital optometrists are also taking on extended roles. This is true in a range of other clinics, such as neuro-ophthalmology, uveitis, and vitreoretinal services.
The researchers also observed growth in the number of hospital optometrists with prescribing rights and the ability to perform laser procedures.
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Optometry - The evolving scope of hospital optometry