MP for Daventry sees first-hand how community optometry can meet rising NHS demand
Former Shadow Health Secretary says optometry practices are “already at the heart of communities across the country, and making better use of their expertise can help patients get the right care closer to home.”
Stuart Andrew MP, former Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, visited Browett’s Opticians in Daventry on 28 September to see first-hand how community optometrists are delivering vital eye care.
The visit was organised by the Association of Optometrists (AOP), in partnership with AOP member and optometrist, Fatema Soonsara, at Browett’s Opticians, and showcased the role optometry can play in tackling growing NHS demand for eye care.
Over 600,000 people are currently waiting for an ophthalmology appointment across England, making it one of the busiest outpatient specialties in the NHS. In Daventry, around 2,200 patients are on the waiting list, with nearly a fifth waiting longer than 18 weeks.
Stuart Andrew MP met members of the practice team and discussed how a more consistent national approach to commissioning enhanced eye care services for common eye problems and conditions could help patients access timely care closer to home.
During the visit, the practice team demonstrated the diagnostic equipment and clinical services available in modern optometry practices, including the monitoring of long-term conditions and the safe management of patients in the community.
Stuart Andrew, MP for Daventry, said: “Everyone should have access to high-quality eye care when and where they need it. Optometry practices are already at the heart of communities across the country, and making better use of their expertise can help patients get the right care closer to home, while easing pressure on our wider NHS.
“I’m pleased to support the AOP’s Eye care everywhere campaign and its call for enhanced eye care services to be available to patients across England. We should be doing everything we can to make sure people can access the care they need on their local High Street, rather than having to wait or travel further for treatment.”
Fatema Soonsara, optometrist at Browett’s Opticians, said: “It was great to have Stuart Andrew see first-hand what we already do in community optometry. Every patient we can safely look after in our practice is a patient the hospital doesn't have to see, and that's time given back to treat the patients who genuinely need care in a hospital setting.
“We previously had MECS commissioned across Coventry and Warwickshire, and it worked really well for our patients there, but the service has since been decommissioned. Meanwhile, patients in Northamptonshire don't have access to an equivalent service either. It’s frustrating that patients can lose access to this kind of care simply because of local commissioning decisions, particularly when we know it can work so well in practice.”
John White, AOP Communications and External Affairs Director, said: “The visit to Browett’s Opticians was about demonstrating what community optometry can deliver, right now, but also the untapped potential to offer more. We were delighted to host Stuart Andrew and have the opportunity to showcase the value of primary care optometrists and dispensing opticians in meeting the growing demand for NHS eye care. Community practices just like Browett’s Opticians, across England, are equipped to deliver specialist eye care closer to home, keeping patients out of hospital and easing pressure on overstretched services.
“We welcome Mr Andrew’s engagement in the AOP campaign, calling for eye care everywhere in England, and look forward to working with him to champion the greater role community optometry can play in supporting the critical shift from hospital to community.”
The AOP will continue to engage MPs across England to demonstrate the opportunities for expanding community-based eye care and ensuring every member of the public can access consistent, timely care across England, as outlined in the Eye care everywhere campaign.
Ends
Download high resolution images from the practice visit.
For more information, please contact Anjola Sulaiman, Media Communications and PR Manager, at the Association of Optometrists, [email protected] or telephone 0207 549 2062.
Notes to Editors
Association of Optometrists
The Association of Optometrists (AOP) is the voice of the optical profession, representing 80% of practising optometrists. The AOP elevates the work of its members, safeguards their interests, and champions eye health across the UK. For more information, visit www.aop.org.uk