Our political engagement: January – March 2025
Key developments shaping our political engagement
Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and John White, AOP Communications and External Affairs Director
Over the past quarter, we’ve made significant strides in showcasing optometry and primary care as the backbone of the NHS and crucial to the Government’s three big shifts in health, in particular moving care from hospital to community settings.
Here are some of the milestones:
- As a member of the Optometric Fees Negotiating Committee (OFNC), we partnered with leading primary care organisations to host a Parliamentary event that underscored the importance of community-based services in addressing waiting lists and delivering accessible healthcare
- We reiterated calls to expand community optometry services as a viable solution to meet growing eye care needs, responding to the Government’s reform plans for elective care and Healthwatch England’s report on the need for greater use of community eye care
- We held a Westminster exhibition alongside partners of The Eyes Have It coalition, and we were delighted to have the opportunity to engage with Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the pressing need for a national framework to address disparities in eye care access and to ensure our healthcare system is better equipped for the rise in demand on eye care services*
- We met with Marsha de Cordova MP to share insights from our co-commissioned PA Consulting report, showcasing the benefits of investing in High Street optometry for patients, the wider economy, and the NHS
- We secured coverage in the national media on wide-ranging issues including vision standards for driving, eye care pathways, sight testing in special schools and the Government’s elective care reform plans.
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Serena Box, Head of Media, PR and External Affairs, Marsha de Cordova MP, John White, Communications and External Affairs Director, Chris Whiting, External affairs officer
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