The Institute of Optometry is a centre for optometry, based in south London, England. It was established in 1922 as the London Refraction Hospital.
The Institute of Optometry is a centre for optometry, based in south London, England. It was established in 1922 as the London Refraction Hospital.
The London Refraction Hospital (LRH) was formed in October 1922, the first institute of its kind in the world. The first committee of management consisted of Owen Aves (Chairman), F.W. Bateman, J.H. Cuff, F.W. Dadd, G.E. Houghton and W. H. Nichols. The first secretary was F.T. Gregg. [1] James Forrest, who was a surgeon oculist, was also involved in the founding. [2] [3]
The LRH was enlarged and re-modelled in October 1928 and re-opened in February 1929 by the Rt. Hon. the Countess of Mayo. In November 1938 the LRH was reconstituted by order of the Charity Commission. [1]
The second Lord Charnwood was active in the management of the London Refraction Hospital after the second world war. [4]
In 1985 it was suggested by Rishi Agarwal in Optometry Today that 'in addition to making efforts for a Royal College of Optometrists, efforts should also be made for a Royal status for the LRH. [5] [6]
In 1988 the LRH changed its name to the Institute of Optometry. [3]
In 2008 the Institute of Optometry, in partnership with London South Bank University, established a post-graduate Doctor of Optometry programme. This was the first professional doctorate in optometry by that description offered in the UK, distinct from a traditional PhD. [7] [8]
Ophthalmology is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
Optometry is a specialized health care profession that involves examining the eyes and related structures for defects or abnormalities. Optometrists are health care professionals who typically provide comprehensive primary eye care.
The British Optical Association (BOA) was founded in February 1895 as the first professional body for ophthalmic opticians (optometrists) in the world. The British Optical Association Museum and Library was founded in 1901; it retains the BOA name but is now part of the College of Optometrists, located in Craven Street, Charing Cross, central London.
An optician is an individual who fits eyeglasses or contact lenses by filling a refractive prescription from an optometrist or ophthalmologist. They are able to translate and adapt ophthalmic prescriptions, dispense products, and work with accessories. There are several specialties within the field.
Thomas Cooke was a British scientific instrument maker based in York. He founded T. Cooke & Sons, the scientific instrument company.
Vision therapy (VT), or behavioral optometry, is an umbrella term for alternative medicine treatments using eye exercises, based around the pseudoscientific claim that vision problems are the true underlying cause of learning difficulties, particularly in children. Vision therapy has not been shown to be effective using scientific studies, except for helping with convergence insufficiency. Most claims—for example that the therapy can address neurological, educational, and spatial difficulties—lack supporting evidence. Neither the American Academy of Pediatrics nor the American Academy of Ophthalmology support the use of vision therapy.
The College of Optometrists is the professional, scientific and examining body for optometry in the United Kingdom, working for the public benefit. Their headquarters is at 41-42 Craven Street, London WC2, of which no 41 is a Grade II listed building.
An eye care professional is an individual who provides a service related to the eyes or vision. It is any healthcare worker involved in eye care, from one with a small amount of post-secondary training to practitioners with a doctoral level of education.
Newington Causeway is a road in Southwark, London, between the Elephant and Castle and Borough High Street. Elephant & Castle Underground station is at the southern end. It follows the route of the old Roman road Stane Street.
Astigmatism is a type of refractive error due to rotational asymmetry in the eye's refractive power. This results in distorted or blurred vision at any distance. Other symptoms can include eyestrain, headaches, and trouble driving at night. Astigmatism often occurs at birth and can change or develop later in life. If it occurs in early life and is left untreated, it may result in amblyopia.
Wigmore Street is a street in the City of Westminster, in the West End of London. The street runs for about 600 yards parallel and to the north of Oxford Street between Portman Square to the west and Cavendish Square to the east. It is named after the village of Wigmore and its castle in Herefordshire, a seat of the family of Robert Harley, politician around the time of Queen Anne, who owned land in the area.
Dame Mary Lesley Perkins, is an English billionaire who is the co-founder of Specsavers, the British retail optometry chain.
John Browning was an English inventor and manufacturer of precision scientific instruments in the 19th and early 20th centuries. He hailed from a long line of English instrument makers and transformed the family business from one dealing in nautical instruments to one specialising in scientific instruments. Browning was particularly well known for his advances in the fields of spectroscopy, astronomy, and optometry.
Gerald Westheimer AM FRS is an Australian scientist at University of California, Berkeley researching the eye, its optics, and how we see details in space and in three dimensions.
Konrad Pesudovs is an Australian optometrist and outcomes researcher in ophthalmology; recognised as the leading optometrist researcher worldwide in terms of H-Index and total citations. He is SHARP Professor of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of New South Wales (2020-). He was the Foundation Chair of Optometry and Vision Science at Flinders University from 2009 to 2017.
Dr Amar Agarwal M.S., FRCS, F.R.C.Ophth is an Indian ophthalmologist and chairman and managing director of Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital and Eye Research Centre in India, which includes 140+ eye hospitals. He is the recipient of the Best Doctor award of the State government from then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa on 15 August 2014. He is also the past President of the International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS) and Secretary General of the Intraocular Implant and Refractive Society of India (IIRSI).
Eye care in the United Kingdom is available through the National Health Service. Eye care in the community is almost entirely provided by optometrists in private practice. Specialist NHS services are provided from a small number of eye hospitals, and their staff often run clinics in general hospitals in their region.
Heiko Pult is a German research optometrist, specialising in research in dry eye, contact lenses, tear film and visual acuity. He is the CEO of Horst Riede GmbH in Weinheim, Germany, and also heads a research group, Dr Heiko Pult - Optometry and Vision Research, also based in Weinheim. He is also a lecturer and author of numerous papers, articles and books.
John Marshall MBE, FMedSci, PhD, DSc, FRCPath, FRSB, FRCOphth(Hon), FRCOptom (Hon), FARVO is a British medical scientist and inventor. Currently he is the Frost Professor of Ophthalmology at the Institute of Ophthalmology UCL and Emeritus Professor King's College London. He is a pioneer of laser eye surgery.