Published on 20/07/2022
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Professor Leon Davies, Polyclinic
  • School of Optometry ophthalmic equipment will furnish three polyclinics – presented by Canon Medical for the duration of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
  • Aston University clinical and academic staff volunteers are part of a team running the clinics
  • The polyclinics presented by Canon Medical are due to open to athletes on 22 July.

Aston University optometrists and dispensing opticians from its School of Optometry have been preparing various pieces of ophthalmic equipment needed to furnish three eye health polyclinics presented by Canon Medical at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The polyclinics presented by Canon Medical will be hosted at the Birmingham 2022 villages at the University of Warwick & University of Birmingham.

The equipment, which is on loan from the School of Optometry, includes slit lamps, ophthalmoscopes, visual field screeners and tonometers.

It was loaded up on Saturday 16July and Monday 18 July and was then transported to the three sites in preparation for the opening of the service on 22 July.

Athletes and the wider Birmingham 2022 community will be able to access emergency eye care at the clinics. Athletes who need emergency access to glasses and contact lenses will also be able to get them from the polyclinics.

The service is being run by volunteers who have had role-specific training provided by the Games medical team. Aston University’s volunteers are academic and clinical staff from the School of Optometry.

Leon Davies, professor of optometry & physiological optics at Aston University, has led the clinic set up and is also a polyclinic volunteer. He said:

“It is an honour to support the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games through loaning our ophthalmic equipment, and I am proud of my colleagues who have volunteered to help run the clinics. 

“We are excited to provide athletes’ eye care whilst they are here in Birmingham. We appreciate some may have travelled long distances so on arrival might need to seek advice regarding a range of eye health issues. This could include anything from dry eye (due to a long flight), seasonal problems affecting eye health, or an issue with their spectacles or contact lenses.”

The polyclinics presented by Canon Medical will be open every day from 7am – 11pm from 22 July to the end of the Games on 10 August.

For more information about the School of Optometry including our research and courses, please visit our website.

Notes to Editors

About Aston University

Founded in 1895 and a University since 1966, Aston is a long established university led by its three main beneficiaries – students, business and the professions, and our region and society. Aston University is located in Birmingham and at the heart of a vibrant city and the campus houses all the university’s academic, social and accommodation facilities for our students. Saskia Loer Hansen is the interim Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive.

Aston University was named University of the Year 2020 by The Guardian and the University’s full time MBA programme has been ranked in the top 100 in the world in the Economist MBA 2021 ranking. The Aston MBA has been ranked 12th in the UK and 85th in the world.

About the School of Optometry

The School of Optometry, based in the College of Health and Life Sciences, is dedicated to providing a relevant, challenging and supportive learning environment that integrates scientific, clinical and professional aspects to enable our students to become skilled healthcare professionals.

Benefitting from over 80 years of innovation, its portfolio of courses range from undergraduate, to masters taught and doctoral level research. In addition, the school offers a wide range of optometry continuing professional development options, designed to complement existing skills and develop new knowledge.

All programmes are informed by professional practice. Led by an inter-disciplinary teaching team of optometrists, dispensing opticians, ophthalmologists, and vision scientists. Reflecting this highly practical ethos, students on undergraduate programmes benefit from substantial hands-on experience in the onsite Aston Eye Clinic, one of the largest at any UK university, with over 6,000 patient episodes completed every year. 

For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Rebecca Hume, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44)7557 745416 or email: r.hume@aston.ac.uk

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