09 April 2025
News that over 1500 NHS GPs have been recruited since October 2024 has been welcomed by the AOP.
However, the association has noted that utilising eye care, pharmacy and dentistry is vital if the Government is to succeed in its mission of fixing the NHS.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has revealed that 1503 GPs have been recruited since 1 October last year.
The recruitment came after GPs were added to the additional roles reimbursement scheme, which allows for additional capacity in hiring for certain roles.
Additional funding was also provided, allowing GPs to be recruited more quickly by primary care networks.
Increasing the number of available GP appointments is part of the Government’s plans to ‘fix the front door of the NHS’ and ‘bring back the family doctor.’
It is part of the Government’s Plan for Change, and comes ahead of changes to GPs contracts that will come into place in 2025–2026, which will include an increase in contract funding and the opportunity to take on new enhanced services.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said that £82 million of funding for extra GPs has, in part, come from the increase to employer National Insurance payments.
He called a situation where patients could not access GP appointments whilst GPs could not find a job “ludicrous.”
Optometry ‘at the heart of change’
AOP chief executive, Adam Sampson, emphasised that the clinical skills that already exist within primary care must be utilised as part of the Government’s plans.
Sampson said: “We are pleased to see the critical importance of primary care being recognised by the Government, and the need for tangible investment to stabilise these services.
“But to make ‘fixing the front door to the NHS’ a reality, eye care as well as pharmacy and dentistry need to be at the heart of the change.”
The overall NHS waiting list has reduced by 193,000 since July 2024, the DHSC said, with two million extra appointments made in the same period.
Sampson added: “Fundamental to any shift from acute to community-based care is the move away from a hospital-centric funding approach.
“Maximising on the clinical skills that already exist within the primary care workforce, as well as rebalancing investment so primary care is at the centre of a digitally integrated system, will be crucial if the Government is to deliver on its priorities: to deliver care closer to home, move from sickness to prevention, and ensure the long-term sustainability of the health service.”
Changing perceptions
OT meets the optometrists who are helping to ease the burden on overstretched GP practices
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Don Williams10 April 2025
We welcome the Government’s recognition of the essential role that primary care plays in restoring accessibility and continuity within the NHS. The recruitment of over 1500 GPs since October is an important step towards alleviating pressure on frontline services. However, as the volume of patients entering the system inevitably increases, it is vital that community-based eye care is equipped to meet the rising demand particularly for patients presenting with complex ophthalmic conditions.
Highly trained optometrists; those holding postgraduate qualifications such as the Professional Diploma in Glaucoma, Independent Prescribing (IP) accreditation, and most critically, Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs) in Ophthalmology are uniquely positioned to deliver safe, timely, and specialist-led care within community settings. These clinicians are not only capable of managing chronic eye disease such as glaucoma and medical retina conditions, but are also actively reducing the burden on overstretched hospital eye services through early intervention, ongoing management, and shared care pathways.
As we strive to move from reactive, hospital-centric models to proactive, prevention-focused care closer to home, the integration of advanced-level optometrists into the core of primary care is no longer optional, it is essential. These professionals bring with them a depth of clinical expertise and decision-making autonomy that enables true multidisciplinary collaboration, ensuring patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
If the Government is truly committed to delivering a sustainable NHS that meets both current and future needs, then investment must go beyond GP recruitment. It must also include robust support for the development and commissioning of enhanced community eye care services underpinned by a workforce of highly skilled optometrists who are already trained and ready to take on this responsibility.
The time to empower and mobilise these professionals is now. Failure to do so risks undermining the very goals of the NHS recovery strategy and will perpetuate the cycle of delayed care, preventable vision loss, and escalating costs to the system.
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