CLO’s HEE Grant Announced

HEE grant announced toward extended services training for contact lens opticians

The Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) can announce that following discussions with Health Education England (HEE) it has secured a grant to cover the costs of MECS training and qualifications for contact lens opticians (CLOs).

The grant, which covers the ABDO extended services course and WOPEC final examinations, is available both to new CLO applicants and CLOs who have already registered for the course but not completed and passed the final  Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE),and is available for 200 CLO applicants.

ABDO’s clinical lead Max Halford says, “I am absolutely delighted that Health Education England has recognised the clinical value dispensing opticians can bring to patients in primary care and has agreed to support 200 more CLOs to undertake the ABDO extended services course.

“Securing this funding on behalf of our members is a major step forward for ABDO and the addition of a research grant from HEE to the Association’s Research and Clinical Committee to look at how dispensing opticians support patients with acute eye conditions will allow us to look in detail at the scope of practice and engagement of dispensing opticians within eye health more broadly.”

For candidates who have already received WOPEC module codes from ABDO please contact Max Halford at mhalford@abdo.org.uk to register your interest in the grant.

For new candidates please read the information on the ABDO website, which will guide you through the registration process and answer most of the frequently asked questions on extended services training available to CLOs.