AOP’s response to the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan

AOP’s response to the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan

The Government began consulting the public and health professionals on a new plan for health in October 2024

In October, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care set out the Government’s intention to ‘overhaul’ the NHS – with the public, clinicians and experts invited to submit ideas.

The Association of Optometrists (AOP) has now submitted its full response, which collates the views of its members, following a consultation period in November.

In the response, the AOP sets out in detail the growing need to transform eye care and eye health in England for patients, and how it can be achieved.

Optometry is one of the four core pillars of primary care – alongside dentistry, pharmacy and general practice. The optometry profession has an established and critical role providing effective eye care on the high street and serving on the frontline for secondary care.

By moving between 50% and 75% of hospital outpatient activity into primary care optometry, essential capacity in the NHS can be created.

The AOP argues that to achieve this transformation, the NHS must embrace and invest in the key components that underpin a new way of working.

Adam Sampson, Chief Executive said: “Fundamental to any redress in our healthcare system will be the ability to seize on the readiness and clinical skills that already exist within the primary care workforce, moving away from a hospital-centric funding approach. This hinges on digital connectivity, hospital tariff reform, enhanced service contracting arrangements and ICB composition.

“If we can get these components right, eye care, delivered on the high street, will help drive the NHS towards prevention and improved standards, and reduce inequality of access for patients. We need to cut the shameful incidence of irreversible, avoidable sight loss that we currently see as a direct result of the NHS backlog and an inconsistent commissioning approach.”

13 recommendations for driving change

The AOP’s response sets out 13 recommendations for driving change, including:  

• Ensuring that the best examples of enhanced service provision are replicated throughout the country

• Establishing a new role for primary eye care
• Mandating a national system of digital connectivity, interoperability and communication to capitalise on the opportunities of current and next generation technology

• Ensuring that the NHS app directs patients with eye related queries to primary eye care by default.

Read the AOP’s full response and recommendations.

Key interventions to transform eye care and eye health

To influence health policy and set out the case for change, the AOP recently commissioned a report to explore the untapped clinical and socio-economic impact of primary eye care and its benefits to public health. The report Key interventions to transform eye care and eye health is available in full from the AOP website.