08 July 2024

Primary eye care reaches out to new government on eye care

ABDO, AOP and FODO have reached out to the new government to follow up pre-election and manifesto commitments to work with primary eye care to tackle long hospital ophthalmology waiting times and prevent avoidable sight loss.  

Primary eye care representative bodies said: "It is time to end avoidable sight loss due to delays in care. We will work with new ministers and NHS leadership to deliver commitments made on the campaign trail and in the manifesto.

We know what works. We have the clinical pathways, we have the clinical teams and we have the capacity to help make a massive difference quickly and cost-effectively. We are ready to make the long overdue shift from an NHS model overly reliant on secondary care to a more preventive primary eye care service, which delivers more care closer to home. 

It is time for the NHS in England to transform eye care services.  We have let ministers and civil servants know that we are ready to start work to deliver better care for the millions of patients we serve."  

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Notes to editors
The national primary eye care representative bodies:

ABDO - The Association of British Dispensing Opticians is the professional body for dispensing opticians. Its purpose is to support and represent its members, promote awareness of their roles, enable their professional development and to advance the profession as a whole.

Contact: [email protected] 

AOP - The Association of Optometrists is the leading representative membership organisation for optometrists in the UK. It supports over 82% of practising optometrists to fulfil their professional roles to protect the nation's eye health. It protects, supports and represents its members throughout their careers.

Contact: [email protected]

FODO - The Association for Eye Care Providers - is the leading national association for eye care providers working in primary and community care settings. Its members provide more than 80% of all NHS primary eye care services.

Contact: [email protected]