Association of Optometrists’ Post

Last week’s Labour Party Conference showcased a clear appetite for neighbourhood-based healthcare, and we used the platform to advance the case for community optometry as a practical, proven route to better care close to home. Our activity over the past quarter across Parliament and the media reinforced that optometry can reduce eye care waiting lists, tackle health inequalities and deliver value for the NHS. We have compiled some of the key actions ⬇️ ✅ In partnership with Progressive Britain, we hosted a fringe event featuring the Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock, as well as local leaders and health policy experts, which explored the 10-Year Health Plan and the steps needed to expand community services and remove barriers to care. ✅ We attended the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative Party Conferences to advocate for access to eye care in every community, meeting MPs and health stakeholders shaping the delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan. We took part in two Re:State and Community Pharmacy England fringe events at the Liberal Democrat and Conservative party conferences to help shift the dial, making care closer to home a reality for patients. ✅ We welcomed the Department of Health and Social Care’s consultation to widen optometrists’ and contact lens opticians’ access to medicines for minor eye conditions. Expanding prescribing rights will make care more convenient for patients, reduce pressure on GPs and hospitals, and transform access to timely treatment. ✅We responded to the 10-Year Health Plan, urging immediate investment in primary care so neighbourhood services can deliver the promised shift from hospital to community. We also submitted evidence to the Public Accounts Committee consultation on reducing NHS elective waiting times. ✅Working with The College of Optometrists, we contributed to a BBC feature on vision and driving standards, calling for mandatory sight tests at licence application and renewal as an essential step to improve road safety. We also developed and published our joint core principles for the more robust implementation of driving vision standards, alongside welcoming potential proposals for mandatory sight tests for drivers over 70 as part of wider reforms to modernise road safety. ✅ We organised a practice visit for Zöe Franklin MP, hosted in Guilford delivering direct insight into how local optometry practices deliver high quality, accessible eye care. ✅ We championed investment in community optometry to deliver more eye care services closer to home, with our Chief Executive, Adam Sampson writing in the Health Service Journal and for Progressive Britain on the need for a neighbourhood-led approach to future-proof the healthcare system.