Welcome to the Ophthalmic Practitioner Training (OPT) Medical Retina module
With an ageing population and increasing prevalence in diabetes, the demand for retinal services has never been greater! Yet, this demand continues to rise. This has not been matched by a rise in resources however, with fewer ophthalmologists in the UK compared to other European countries. There is, therefore, a huge opportunity to re-design and streamline services to improve efficiency and reconfigure the patient pathway.
This undertaking will require an investment in staff through opportunities to develop skills and knowledge across the medical retina pathway. Through such staff development, we aim to increase capacity in a patient-centred approach.
This is where the OPT medical retina training programme fits in – to provide a framework for specialist nurses, optometrists and orthoptists to enhance their existing skills and become confident practitioners and clinicians. Together, sharing the development and leadership in re-shaping and delivering medical retinal services in the decades ahead.