The Association of Optometrists (AOP) has unveiled its comprehensive response to the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan consultation, highlighting the urgent need to transform eye care across England. In its submission, the AOP emphasized the critical role optometry plays in primary healthcare and proposed actionable steps to improve patient outcomes and alleviate pressure on the NHS.
Optometry, alongside dentistry, pharmacy, and general practice, is considered one of the core pillars of primary care. The AOP stressed that optometry’s presence on the High Street has long been integral to providing accessible eye care, yet its potential to support broader NHS goals remains underutilized.
A key recommendation in the AOP’s response involves shifting some hospital outpatient activities into primary care optometry. This, the association argues, would unlock vital NHS capacity and allow for more efficient use of resources. However, the AOP also cautioned that this transformation would require significant investment in both infrastructure and workforce.
Adam Sampson, Chief Executive of the AOP, pointed to the existing clinical skills within primary care and stressed that a shift away from a hospital-centric funding model is essential. “Fundamental to any improvement in our healthcare system will be leveraging the readiness and expertise of the primary care workforce,” Sampson said. “This requires reform in digital connectivity, hospital tariffs, and the structure of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).”
The AOP’s submission outlined 13 key recommendations to address current deficiencies and drive the much-needed transformation. These include the establishment of a national digital connectivity system for primary care, which would enable seamless communication between optometrists and other healthcare providers. The NHS app, the AOP suggested, should be programmed to direct patients with eye-related concerns to primary eye care services by default.
The AOP also called for the creation of a new role in primary eye care, enabling patients to remain within the sector until optometry can no longer provide the necessary treatment. Further recommendations include ensuring primary care is adequately represented on ICBs and that enhanced primary eye care services are financially sustainable and attractive to providers.
Another pressing concern for the AOP is the imbalance in funding between primary and secondary care. The association emphasized that without a recalibration of financial priorities, primary eye care would continue to struggle. The AOP also advocated for a national vision strategy focused on the elderly as part of a broader prevention agenda.
Addressing the NHS backlog, Sampson highlighted the need to reduce the preventable and irreversible sight loss that has plagued the system, a result of inconsistent commissioning and delays in treatment. “We need to cut the shameful incidence of avoidable sight loss,” he said, “which is directly linked to the NHS backlog.”
The AOP’s proposals are aligned with the health secretary Wes Streeting’s goal of prioritizing prevention and reducing inequalities in healthcare access. The association argued that adopting its recommendations would help reduce waiting times, alleviate pressure on secondary care, and transition the NHS towards a preventative care model.
The consultation, launched in October, is set to shape the future of NHS healthcare delivery. With responses gathered from healthcare professionals and the public, the final 10-Year Health Plan is expected to be published in the spring. The full AOP consultation response is available on the AOP website.
Additionally, the AOP contributed to two other consultation submissions, including one from Westminster-based campaign group The Eyes Have It, which can be accessed on their website.
Related topic:
Gland Pharma Shares Surge After USFDA Approval for Eye Treatment
NHS Approves Kimmtrak for Treating Uveal Melanoma
Randy Moss Reveals Health Struggles, Doctors Speculate Liver Condition
