We've responded to a consultation by the Department of Health and Social Care on making vaccination a condition of deployment in the health and wider social care sector.

Updates to Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) classification and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on eye strain and dry- eye-related symptoms

Clarification on the UKHSA statement on changes to physical distancing, patient COVID-19 testing and cleaning procedures.

The College of Optometrists' and ABDO's joint position on mandatory vaccinations.

The Department of Health and Social Care is consulting on proposals for mandatory COVID-19 and flu vaccinations for all frontline health and social care workers in England.

Physical distancing in health and care settings (including community optometry practices) may be reduced in some areas.

Podcast: In this episode, Daniel has a fascinating conversation with Professor Jose-Luis Jimenez, aerosol expert and fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder, USA.

How lockdown restriction easing will affect optical practices and guidance on the appropriate application of the self-isolation exemption in Scotland following recent government announcements.

Find out what our Clinical Adviser has to say about a study published by the University of Hong Kong linking COVID-19 restrictions, screen time and myopia in children.

Lockdowns led to cancelled operations and check-ups. Becky McCall looks at the legacy of the pandemic for eye disease and sight loss, and the lessons that have been learned.

Here we summarise three research papers from a recent issue of Optometry in Practice.

From vaccine hesitancy to blue-light filters, Steve Smethurst looks at the erroneous but unbudgeable beliefs that should be buried for good.

The College of Optometrists and The Royal College of Ophthalmologists have released a joint statement of our vision for safe and sustainable patient eye care services.

Following on from the joint vision statement for England published in August 2020, both Colleges have reviewed and built on the learnings over the past year resulting in a joint statement for the UK.

We have updated our Amber phase COVID-19 guidance to help practices across the UK deliver eye care safely and effectively at this stage of the pandemic.

We explain how the easing of restrictions in Wales will affect optometrists.

Sector bodies advise that optical practices should continue to follow Amber guidance, and self-isolation exemptions in England are unlikely to apply in primary eye care settings.

Together with ABDO we advise that practices should continue to operate in the amber phase and maintain high infection control standards this summer.

Healthcare organisations from across England have written a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for face masks to be mandatory in healthcare settings.

The College, ABDO, the AOP and FODO have issued guidelines on appropriate infection prevention and control measures following recent government announcements.

As society continues to open up, the Optometry in Practice editorial board thought it opportune to reflect on the experiences of the pandemic to date and assess the impact on both eyecare professionals and our patients.

COVID-19 and its impact on eyecare: a review

This article summarises the key findings of a survey taken by members of the College of Optometrists investigating changes in clinical optometric practice in the UK as a result of the pandemic including the challenges and benefits identified.

This study investigates the opinions of contact lens practitioners at the end of lockdown about the changes they implemented.