AOP supports call for care closer to home

A speech made by Sir Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, in which he highlighted the need to move care out of hospitals, has been welcomed by the AOP

2 min read

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Kimberley Young

29 January 2025

The AOP has welcomed comments made by Sir Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, on the need to move care into the community.

Powis gave a speech at the Liverpool Medical Institute on 22 January, titled If the NHS is broken, how to fix it, suggesting that the health service must “go for broke” in delivering more care in the community to alleviate pressure on hospital services.

Accident and emergency (A&E) saw its busiest year on record in 2024, with 27 million visits, 7.1% higher than in 2023.

Powis warned that if attendance increases at the same rate as they have in the last 10 years, there will be six million more A&E attendances every year from 2034.

This would be equivalent to almost half the population attending A&E at least once every year, he suggested.

Powis encouraged medical professionals to contribute to the Government’s 10-Year Plan for Health with experiences of what is and is not working in the NHS.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care set out the Government’s intention to ‘overhaul’ the NHS last year and began consulting with the public and health professionals on a new plan for health in October. Read about the AOP’s response here.

Adam Sampson, chief executive of the AOP, welcomed the emphasis on care in the community, sharing: “There is a real crisis in our healthcare system and patients are being failed with ever-growing waiting lists and times.”

Describing the “alarming level of strain” seen in A&E departments and rising numbers of patients waiting for essential services, he suggested: “Radical reform is vital to address the ailing state of the nation’s healthcare.”

Sampson continued: “There is a solution that is simple. Our commissioned PA Consulting report demonstrates that leveraging the existing clinical skills within High Street optometry can release at least two million appointments a year for areas of NHS healthcare, such as A&E.

“By utilising the clinical expertise across all areas of primary care, we can significantly drive down the pressure faced by hospitals, leading to better access to care for patients, reduced inequalities, and overall improved patient health,” he said.