Eye Health Professionals
Eye Health professionals working in the eye department include:
- Optometrists
- Dispensing Opticians
- Ophthalmologists
- Orthoptists
- Nurses
- Medical Photographers
Optometrists
Optometrists (Ophthalmic Opticians) are professional clinicians responsible for many aspects of vision care. Optometrists undertake examinations of the eye for optical defects and correct defects using spectacles and contact lenses. They assess functional disorders of the eye and visual systems.
Optometrists are normally primary health-care specialists trained to examine the eyes for defects in sight, ocular diseases and problems related to general health. They are also trained to fit and supply optical appliances such as spectacles, contact lenses and low vision aids. Optometrists are responsible for detection, diagnosis and management of ocular disease and the rehabilitation of conditions of the visual system. They provide approximately 90% of primary eye care in the UK and the profession is responsible for 40% of ocular and ophthalmic referrals to the secondary care sector.
The profession is regulated by a statutory body, the General Optical Council (GOC) which has the general function of promoting high standards of professional education and conduct among optometrists under the Opticians Act 1989. The law states that, apart from registered medical practitioners, only a registered optometrist can test sight. There is more information on the General Optical Council website.
Registered optometrists examine the visual system to establish its state of health and to provide, if necessary, an optical correction to optimise visual performance. While the majority of optometrists work in private practice, some practise part-time or full-time in hospital eye departments while others are active in industry, government service, research and teaching.
Optometrists study at university for at least three years and participate in a full year of training and supervision, called the pre-registration year before being registered with the General Optical Council.
There are currently around 9,000 registered optometrists in the UK, about 400 of whom work either part time or full time in the Hospital Eye Service (HES).
Optometrists working in the HES provide secondary care to patients, usually in a hospital setting, including diagnostic refractions, medical contact lenses, Low Vision Aids and enhanced optometric services including glaucoma assessment and management, corneal assessment and management, eye casualty, post operative cataract assessment, joint orthoptic and optometric paediatric assessment and management and support for intra-vitreal injection services.
There is more information on Optometry on the College of Optometrists website.
Dispensing opticians
Dispensing opticians are specialists who fit prescriptions for spectacles provided by either optometrists, ophthalmic medical practitioners or ophthalmologists. Registered with the General optical Council they assess the suitability of both spectacle lenses and frames to provide the best solution to the prescription for spectacles, with reference to the patient’s visual and vocational requirements. Dispensing opticians are also able to fit contact lenses and provide Low vision aids after undergoing further specialist training.
There are currently around 4,000 qualified dispensing opticians in the UK, about 100 of whom work in the Hospital Eye Service (HES).
Dispensing opticians working in the HES usually provide specialist dispensing services including complex spectacle dispensing for babies, children and adults, ptosis prop fitting, hand made frames for patients with complex fitting needs and spectacle mounted low vision aids.
There is more information on Dispensing Opticians on the Association of British Dispensing Opticians website.
Ophthalmologists
Ophthalmologists are medically qualified doctors who specialise in eye disease and its treatment (ophthalmology). They mainly work in eye hospitals and hospital eye departments.
There is more information on Ophthalmology on the Royal College of Ophthalmologists website.
Orthoptists
Orthoptics is a profession allied to medicine. The role of the orthoptist is to investigate, diagnose and treat disorders of ocular motility, binocular vision and associated anomalies. The orthoptist is an integral member of the ophthalmic team and is usually based in the hospital eye service, but is becoming increasingly involved in the community and education sector.
The majority of the orthoptist’s work is concerned with children suffering from different kinds of squint. A squint may prevent the eyes from being used together (binocular vision) and it can affect sight. If treatment is carried out early, vision can usually be restored and in favourable cases can result in normal binocular vision. The orthoptist is involved in the screening of pre-school children and the assessment of handicapped children.
Many adults including a number of elderly people suffer from defects of ocular movement caused by injury or disease. Part of an orthoptists work is the diagnosis of such problems and the relief of their symptoms, often distressing double vision.
In some centres orthoptists aid in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, maxillofacial problems and the rehabilitation of stroke patients.
There is more information on Orthoptics at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust on the Orthoptic department webpages.
Medical photographers
Medical photographers are part of the Medical Illustration Service at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and provide a wide range of high quality services in clinical and non-clinical photography.
Ophthalmic imaging, provided by Medical Illustration photographers and support workers, provides a range of imaging techniques to support the diagnosis and treatment of a range of eye conditions. The service receives over 12,000 imaging requests a year and the imaging techniques include digital photography of the front (anterior segment) and back of the eye (retina), Fundus Flourescein Angiograms (FFA), Indocyanine Green Angiography (ICG), GDX Scanning Laser Polarimetry, anterior and posterior Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and corneal topography.
There is more information on Ophthalmic imaging on the Ophthalmic imaging webpages.
Nurses
Nurses are degree qualified health care professionals registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
Nurses form the largest group of staff in the NHS and are a crucial part of the healthcare team. Nurses work in every sort of health setting from accident and emergency to patients’ homes, with people of all ages and backgrounds.
Healthcare assistants (sometimes known as nursing auxiliaries or support workers) are not qualified nurses but work with nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals, helping with care and looking after patients’ comfort and well-being.
Nurses working in the Ophthalmology department provide a range of services including assessment of patients, measuring visual acuity, instilling eye drops, measuring visual fields and supporting patient care. Enhanced roles include pre and post operative cataract assessments, Lucentis assessment and treatment and wet maculopathy fast track assessments.