Sound Optometry

Ahead of Sound Optometry’s return in January 2027, we’re revisiting some highlights from our sixty-episode archive. In the first bonus podcast, we’re exploring how to detect and manage papilloedema. 
Back in 2020, Michelle Hanratty was joined by Naz Raoof, a neuro-ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. They discussed the tell-tale signs of this potentially life-threatening condition and shared tips on communicating findings with patients. 
Listen to Course: Sound Optometry: Episode 2 - Papilloedema in full on Docet or in your podcast app. 
Docet - dedicated to providing quality optometric education and professional development.

In recent years, there have been a number of exciting new treatments for glaucoma, a sight-threatening condition that is increasing in prevalence as the population ages. These innovations ensure that patients no longer face a binary choice between eye drops and invasive surgery. 
In this episode, Michelle Hanratty is joined by optometrist Matt Roney and ophthalmologist Neeru Vallabh at the Royal Liverpool University Hospitals. They discuss the range of options now available to manage glaucoma, focusing on Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgeries (MIGS). What do optometrists need to know about these treatments to enable better clinical decision-making?
GOC-registered optometrists practising in England, Wales or Northern Ireland can gain 1 CPD point by listening to this podcast and completing the exercise on our website. This episode covers the GOC domains of Professionalism and Clinical Practice. Docet - dedicated to providing quality optometric education and professional development.

The UK government has recently finished consulting on proposals to introduce mandatory eyesight testing for drivers aged 70 and over as part of the licence renewal process. The current vision standards for driving have been in place since the 1930s, and several tragic cases in which poor eyesight has contributed to fatal collisions have highlighted why many believe reform is long overdue.
No matter how the system ends up being reformed, it is essential that optometrists are confident in their understanding and implementation of the rules. After all, optometrists have a duty not only to their patients, but also to protect the public.
In this episode, Michelle Hanratty seeks advice from optometrists Paramdeep Bikhu, representing the College of Optometrists, and Aishah Patel of the Association of Optometrists (AOP), on how to assess and communicate a patient’s fitness to drive. Paramdeep and Aishah also explain how their organisations are continuing to advocate for further reforms to the eyesight requirements for driving.
GOC-registered optometrists practising in England, Wales or Northern Ireland can gain 1 CPD point by listening to this podcast and completing the exercise on our website. This episode covers the GOC domains of Professionalism and Communication. Docet - dedicated to providing quality optometric education and professional development.
If you have a topic in mind that you’d like us to cover, or if you’ve got an interesting case study you’d like to share, send Docet a message on LinkedIn.

Last year, the Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) released the DEWS III report — a clinical roadmap for managing dry eye disease (DED). TFOS DEWS III incorporates the latest research and is designed to give optometrists clarity on how to improve clinical practice. Reflecting a wealth of new evidence, the new guidelines have refined the definition of DED, changing some diagnostic criteria and treatment recommendations.
In this episode, Michelle Hanratty asks dry eye specialist and optometrist Sarah Farrant — a TFOS UK ambassador — about how to put the new information into practice. She’ll also explain what to do if you want to set up a dedicated dry eye clinic yourself.
Sarah recently presented a Docet webinar on the same topic, called “TFOS DEWS III: What's new, what matters, what to do Monday morning?” Throughout the interview, Michelle asks some of the questions left by webinar participants. You can watch the session here.
GOC-registered optometrists practising in England, Wales or Northern Ireland can gain 1 CPD point by listening to this podcast and completing the exercise on our website. This episode covers the GOC domains of Clinical Practice and Communication. Docet - dedicated to providing quality optometric education and professional development.
If you have a topic in mind that you’d like us to cover, or if you’ve got an interesting case study you’d like to share, send Docet a message on LinkedIn.

When we think about binocular vision (BV), we typically focus on the paediatric cohort. But there are hundreds of thousands of adults across the UK who have developed BV issues later in life, including double vision. This can be a clinical challenge that not every optometrist is confident in managing. Many of these patients struggle with their daily activities. Some people lose hope that their vision can be restored.
In this episode, consultant ophthalmologist Nadeem Ali tells Michelle Hanratty that there are options available for adults with double vision, not just prism correction in spectacles. By pinpointing the likely cause of BV issues, optometrists can identify patients who might benefit from treatment and refer them on to secondary care. Nadeem provides insights from more than two decades of experience performing squint surgery, both within the NHS and at his private London Squint Clinic. Squint surgery has improved the quality of life for many patients; such as Pauline Brand, who also tells her story.
GOC-registered optometrists practising in England, Wales or Northern Ireland can gain 1 CPD point by listening to this podcast and completing the exercise on our website. This episode covers the GOC domains of Clinical Practice. Docet - dedicated to providing quality optometric education and professional development.
If you have a topic in mind that you’d like us to cover, or if you’ve got an interesting case study you’d like to share, send Docet a message on LinkedIn.