AOP comments on public trust in optometry

High levels of public trust in optometry supports extended services closer to home, says AOP

New research published by the General Optical Council (GOC) last week shows high levels of confidence in optical practitioners 

The Association of Optometrists (AOP) welcomes the GOC 2023 public perceptions research which shines a spotlight on the public’s views and experiences of eye care services.

Among the highlights, 94% of respondents who had a sight test in the last two years confirmed they were satisfied with the optometrist who performed the test, with 92% explaining they were confident in the high standard of care.

Responding to the GOC survey results, Chief Executive of the AOP, Adam Sampson said: “We know that our members offer an outstanding level of patient care day in day across the UK – and this latest data is further evidence of that fact. These findings are also a timely reminder of the greater role optometrists can play in alleviating pressure on our struggling healthcare system, and the imperative for political support for a national eye health strategy.

“With expertly trained optometrists easily accessed on the High Street and patients who feel safe under their clinical care, it is essential that we make full use of the existing primary care optometry network. There is no excuse for patients to endure extensive waits and, tragically in some cases, preventable sight loss, as a result of a broken commissioning system.”

The AOP’s Sight Won’t Wait campaign, which highlights more than 600,000 patients waiting for hospital eye appointments in England alone, calls for extended eye care services in community optometry to improve patient outcomes.

The campaign calls on members of the public and the optometry profession to contact their constituency MP to support the demand for change and a national eye health strategy.

Read report from GOC on satisfaction here