There are around 1100 Orthoptists in the British Isles. Most Orthoptists work in the NHS and are registered professionals regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council.
An all-graduate workforce comes from three accredited training centres for undergraduate students: Sheffield, Liverpool and Glasgow Universities. They provide Orthoptists for all four UK countries and the Republic of Ireland. Swansea Bay University Health Board provides clinical placements for undergraduate Orthoptic students as part of their 3-year degree course.
The Orthoptic department also provides training for medical students and pre-reg Optometrists, as well as giving annual training updates on vision assessment to school nurses and health visitors.
The British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS) is the professional and educational body for the UK and Republic of Ireland representing Orthoptists. BIOS is affiliated to the Allied Health Professionals Federation, a group made up of 12 bodies representing more than 158,000 workers in the UK.
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