HEIW says the “Future approach for optometry services“ paper suggests major change in Wales
Health Education and Improvement Wales heralds the biggest change in primary care optometry in Wales in a generation”.
HEIW appointed two optometrist clinical fellows for the first time in 2020:
• Tim Morgan, former Optometry Wales vice-chair, is leading developments to enable “optometrists to contribute in health prevention, involving the patient in decision making and providing advice” as part of the planned new contract. “Tim is also analysing how optometrists can provide sustainable healthcare, ensuring cost analysis of service delivery whereby financial costs, person impact costs and environmental costs are all considered as a whole.”
• Sarah Schum, community optometrist, is leading a workforce data analysis.
Dr Nik Sheen, clinical lead at Cardiff University, Director at WOPEC and eye care transformation lead at HEIW, is “providing the education and development input with the aim of upskilling optometrists and supporting them when they take on additional clinical roles and, crucially, enabling them to become more adept at managing and accepting clinical risk.”