Local MP champions role of optometrists in improving patient access

Local MP champions role of optometrists in improving patient access to eye care and better outcomes

Zöe Franklin MP acknowledged primary eye care as vital in “ensuring care is delivered closer to home” during a practice visit amid renewed emphasis on community care

Zöe Franklin, MP for Guildford, visited Bayfields Opticians on 24 July to meet the practice team and learn more about the vital role local optometrists play in delivering accessible, high-quality eye care in the community.

The visit, hosted by Dispensing Optician, Martine Dalton and organised by the Association of Optometrists (AOP), provided an opportunity to showcase the range of services offered by the local practice, including specialist contact lens fittings, a minor eye conditions service (MECS) and support for patients with their pre and post operative cataract care.

During the visit, Ms Franklin had a tour of the practice, met with optometrists and the practice team and experienced an OCT scan. Franklin discussed key challenges facing the optical sector and primary care, including NHS funding and access to care in underserved areas and why universal services should be “commissioned fairly” so they are available across the country.

Speaking after the visit, Zöe Franklin, MP for Guildford said: “It was a pleasure to visit Bayfields Opticians and see first-hand the exceptional work being done to support eye health locally. All of primary care, including opticians, play a pivotal role in promoting the health of my constituents. Community opticians are a vital part of our healthcare system, and their role has never been more important in ensuring care is delivered closer to home, in a way that makes it convenient and accessible for patients but also relieves pressures on other areas of healthcare.”

Ms Dalton, Dispensing Optician at Bayfields Opticians, said: “We were delighted to welcome Zöe Franklin into our practice. It’s essential that policymakers understand how community optical practices contribute to preventative healthcare and reduce pressure on GPs and hospitals.”

As part of the discussion, Ms Dalton highlighted that local hospitals are struggling to cope with the demands on their services from glaucoma patients.

Opportunities to create fair access to eye care services such as glaucoma pathways for patients locally were addressed, with the practice team pointing to improved IT connectivity between optometry and hospital teams, as well as a national plan for eye care that makes use of the highly trained, clinical workforce of optometry as key solutions to the challenges.

Serena Box, Head of Media, PR and External Affairs for the Association of Optometrists, said: “Community optometry should be the first port of call for eye health so it was fantastic to have the opportunity to meet with Zöe Franklin and show how practices like this one are already delivering essential, front-line care to people in the community. What we need now is the political will by the Government to deliver on their commitment and invest in the capability of the sector to deliver more eye care in the community and reduce waiting lists for elective care.”

The visit was also an opportunity to highlight Glaucoma Awareness Week, taking place earlier in the month, reinforcing the value and benefit of GOS sight testing as a crucial for the early detection of serious health conditions such as glaucoma, diabetes and high blood pressure.

The AOP recently launched the You Won’t See It Coming campaign, to promote the extended role optometry could play in glaucoma care, if services were commissioned nationally: www.aop.org.uk/SeeItComing