By joining BIOS, you’re part of a community with a shared interest in standing up for orthoptics and working for the benefit of all of our members. We can support you to make the most of your career with comprehensive protection, exclusive resources, and expert advice and guidance.
If you’re part of the orthoptic profession, we invite you to join BIOS today! Whether you’re an orthoptist, clinical assistant, technician, or student, BIOS is here for you. We are the only professional association representing the orthoptic workforce across the UK and Ireland.
Explore the benefits of membership and find your category below. Membership runs annually, with payments starting the first day of the following month. Most members choose easy monthly payments by Direct Debit, but you can also pay by card or Bacs transfer.
For any questions, reach out to us at [email protected].

Protection
Whatever happens in your career, BIOS membership gives you access to specialist advice, representation and services tailored to orthoptists.
- Exclusive insurance covering the full scope of Orthoptist practice.
- Medical & Professional Liability Insurance: £2.5 million per claim (£5 million total).
- Public Liability Insurance: Up to £5 million coverage.
- Work-related representation from BOSTU reps on grievances, redundancies, and employment conditions.
- Access to BIOS legal services, including personal injury claims, employment law advice, free simple wills, power of attorney and conveyancing for members and their families.
Tools and Resources for Day-to-Day Practice
Members become part of a network of orthoptic professionals and gain access to a wide range of training and resources to support your career development.
- Access to specialist networks and clinical advisory groups to support career development.
- Substantial discounts on BIOS-organised conferences, events, and study days.
- Attend webinars and virtual events for free, and access recordings in your own time via our CPD Library.
- Member-only guidance and resources to support clinical practice, leadership, research, and more.
- Keep track of your training with our CPD Portfolio.
- Fortnightly Parallel Vision ezine updates and news bulletins.
- Updates on the latest BIOS-led projects.
- Continued professional development via the award-winning PERL (Placement Expansion Resource Library).
- Apply for education and research funding through the Orthoptic Education Fund.
- Access to the latest orthoptic job vacancies, including international positions.
- All BIOS members are also members of the International Orthoptic Association (IOA) and gain access to their member resources.
- Free membership access for students.
Your membership contributes to the development of the latest professional and clinical standards and guidelines. It also enables us to maintain our British and Irish Orthoptic Journal (BIOJ) as completely open access.
Campaign and Influence
We provide a collective voice on behalf of our members, promoting the profession and giving you a voice in the discussions that affect you.
- BIOS campaigns on the issues that matter to our members, like vision screening for 4-5-year-olds and independent prescribing responsibilities for orthoptists.
- Promote the importance of Orthoptics to policymakers, commissioners, and the public.
- Highlight the value of our members’ work through lobbying, social media, and our website, also creating a knowledge hub for members of the public to seek further information on orthoptics.
- We provide guidance and resources to support you to stand up for orthoptics.
- Collective bargaining for better pay and working conditions.