Professional Matters Optometry & Dispensing
James Frith New Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for eye care
Association of Optometrists welcomes appointment of James Frith as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for eye care
“The new Parliamentary Under-Secretary has an opportunity to make eye care a leading example of the Government’s shift from hospital to community. We look forward to working with him and colleagues across the Department to ensure that patients can access more eye care services closer to home” – Adam Sampson, AOP Chief Executive
The Association of Optometrists (AOP) has welcomed the appointment of James Frith MP in his role as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care.
Responding to the appointment, AOP Chief Executive Adam Sampson said:
“James Frith takes on this important brief at a pivotal time for eye care and for the NHS.
“The Government has set out a clear ambition to move the NHS from hospital to community, with more care delivered locally and outside hospital settings. Primary care services, including eye care, are at the heart of this transformation.
“Optometry already provides accessible, high-quality clinical care in communities across the country and has the capacity and expertise to do much more. Moving appropriate eye care out of hospitals and into community optometry in England is a practical example of how the Government’s ambition for neighbourhood health can work in practice.
“James Frith will already have seen the contribution that community optometry can make. His previous engagement with the profession, including seeing enhanced eye care in action in his own constituency, gives him valuable insight into how optometrists are supporting patients and developing new models of care.
“The challenge now is to turn that understanding into concrete steps. We need eye care to be properly integrated into neighbourhood health services, with commissioning and funding models that enable optometrists and dispensing opticians to provide a wider range of NHS care. Better digital connectivity and stronger links between community and hospital services will be essential if patients are to experience genuinely joined-up care.
“Eye care is too often treated as separate from the wider NHS. It should instead be recognised as an essential part of the Government’s plans to shift care out of hospitals, improve prevention and tackle health inequalities. Community optometry is already on the High Street, close to where people live and work, and is uniquely placed to support this change.
“The new Parliamentary Under-Secretary has an opportunity to make eye care a leading example of the Government’s shift from hospital to community. We look forward to working with him and colleagues across the Department to ensure that patients can access more eye care services closer to home, while making better use of NHS resources and reducing avoidable pressure on hospitals.”
The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan set out an ambition to shift care from hospital to community, with a greater proportion of NHS investment going towards out-of-hospital care. Supporting this ambition, the AOP’s Eye care everywhere campaign is calling for a unified approach to eye care services in England, so patients can expect the same levels of care, and faster access, wherever they live.
In 2024, a PA Consulting report co-commissioned by the AOP demonstrated the economic and public health benefits of moving more eye care services into community settings, including reducing avoidable pressure on hospital eye services.
