Peer Review Discussion

The latest round of peer discussion groups is almost complete with over 350 optometrists in Wales taking part. Over the last 4 weeks Nik Sheen and Sasha Macken of WOPEC have been on the road travelling Wales to facilitate groups of up to 8 optometrists.

The sessions have concentrated on diabetes, cataract and glaucoma and have been extremely engaging for all involved. Nik Sheen said, “It has been a pleasure to interact once again with optometrists throughout Wales and I have learnt plenty of useful knowledge, particularly about communication with patients”.

Attendance at the peer discussions sessions over the last year provides re-accreditation for the Eye Health Examination Wales (EHEW) service for every attendee for the next 3-4 years.

New Eye Health Examinations Wales (EHEW) Service Launch

The eagerly anticipated EHEW service has now launched. This new service gives optometrists in Wales the clinical freedom to manage patients in optometric practice and to ensure referrals to secondary hospital ophthalmology are as complete as possible whilst continuing to ensure they are appropriate.

Eye Health Examinations Wales (EHEW) Accreditation

The next accreditation for the Eye Health Examination Wales (EHEW) service is now fully booked. Due to the popularity of the new service, the uptake for the practical assessment day on May 14th in Newtown, Mid Wales is fully booked and there is no further availability.

Launch of New WOPEC Website

We have completely revised our website to make it task oriented and hopefully more user friendly, with greater accessibility for mobile and tablet devices.

WOPEC activites are organised into tiles for quick, easy access, there's a new search site function and we've also added a useful calendar which details upcoming events.

Your dashboard is now the hub of your WOPEC account, showing course progress, which MCQs to take and suggestions for events to attend. It's also where you download certificates and get information on their status.

We hope you like it! Please take a look and let us know what you think: wopec@cardiff.ac.uk ?

Over 4,000 Users Registered with WOPEC!

Since launching in 2009, our registered user base has climbed to over 4,000 practitioners, and we've gained 1,000 users in the last 9 months alone!

Our wide range of courses mean that people are signed up with us for a variety of reasons, from peer reviews and postgraduate modules, to LOCSU discs and refraction courses. But we need your help to continue to provide these services:

Tell us what you want to study, and how you think we can improve - get in touch by email wopec@cardiff.ac.uk , or via our facebook page www.facebook.com/wopec.cardiffuniversity and don't forget to tell your colleagues about WOPEC and help us hit our 5,000th user before the end of 2013!

Refraction Certificate Revision for Ophthalmologists 31 May - 2 June 2013

Two and a half days of intensive practical training. All aspects of the refraction certificate syllabus will be covered by experienced tutors in hands on practical sessions, including a mock OSCE exam.

Four distance learning lectures on CD ROM will be posted in advance.
Costs £799 - Early bird offer, book before 12 May and pay £749.