A spotlight on optometry at political party conferences

The arrival of autumn heralds the arrival of a season of political party conferences – bringing together party members for Q&As, debates, and exhibitions, helping set the political agenda and inform decision-making.

Representatives of the optometry profession and charities will be attending the conferences, seeking to raise awareness of the importance of eye care, the postcode lottery of access, and the role of optometrists in providing care closer to home.

The party conferences kick-off with the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference, held in Birmingham from 20–23 September.

This will be followed by the Annual Conference of the Labour Party in Liverpool from 28 September – 1 October, and Conservative Party Conference from 5–8 October in Manchester.

OT heard from the AOP, Specsavers, Glaucoma UK, and Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), about planned activities at the political party conferences this autumn.

AOP discusses: health on every High Street

The AOP will be attending all three main party conferences this autumn with the aim of championing access to eye care in every community, engaging MPs and stakeholders in health-related discussions, and representing members.

During the Labour Party conference, the AOP will host a panel discussion titled: Health on every High Street in collaboration with Progressive Britain, exploring how primary care can deliver more services closer to home.

The event will spotlight Labour’s 10-Year Health Plan, with a focus on expanding community-based services and dismantling barriers to NHS care.

The Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock, will feature on the panel, along with Adam Sampson, the chief executive of the AOP.

Oliver Coppard, Metro Mayor for South Yorkshire, and Matthew Taylor, chief executive of NHS Confederation, will also form the panel, along with Charlotte Refsum, director of health policy at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.

The panel will be chaired by Councillor Dr Sara Hyde, executive member for health and wellbeing at Islington Council.

The 10-Year Health Plan set out a vision for a ‘neighbourhood health service’ and the Government’s aims for three “shifts” in healthcare: from analogue to digital, treatment to prevention, and hospital to community care.

Describing the NHS as at a “critical juncture,” Sampson said: “We can no longer confine vital services behind hospital doors when they can be delivered in local High Street practices.

He highlighted the “vital role” that optometry can play in the drive to see care delivered closer to home, and said: “We have set out the case to deliver more eye care services nationally, with our co-commissioned PA Consulting report showing we can improve patient care, end the postcode lottery, and deliver value for money.”

“Optometry already offers a blueprint for what the Government envisage as a neighbourhood health service – now it’s time to deliver,” Sampson added.

Optometry already offers a blueprint for what the Government envisage as a neighbourhood health service – now it’s time to deliver

Specsavers and Glaucoma UK partner

Specsavers will attend the Liberal Democrat, Conservative, and Labour conferences, seeking to highlight the accessible care delivered by community eye and hearing services.

Giles Edmonds, clinical services director at Specsavers, said: “We know that the health service is very much in the spotlight, following the Westminster Government’s publication of its 10-year plan for health. It is vital to engage with decision-makers as this plan takes greater shape.”

He added: “We believe that community optometry and audiology is critical to delivering an accessible neighbourhood health service.”

“We will be talking to MPs and delegates at the conferences about the life-changing work being done, for example around community glaucoma services. Plus, setting out how fully using the skills of our clinicians will deliver even more benefits for patients and the health service,” Edmonds continued.

We believe that community optometry and audiology is critical to delivering an accessible neighbourhood health service

Specsavers has partnered with Glaucoma UK to host a stand at the Conservative and Labour conferences.

The team will run eye health checks from the stand, which will also feature an interactive map of NHS-commissioned services, illustrating the postcode lottery in England.

Joanne Creighton, CEO of the charity, said: “We are looking forward to raising awareness of glaucoma at the party conferences with those directly involved with shaping the future of the health system in the UK.”

“As the UK’s only charity solely dedicated to glaucoma, we will be sharing details of our work to champion the needs of patients, provide trusted information, and offer expert advice and reassurance via our helpline service,” she added.

Fringe events sponsored by Specsavers will focus on the role of community optics and audiology.

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Nishani Amerasinghe, a glaucoma and cataract specialist, joined Specsavers at 100% Optical to tell OT why optometrists are vital in progressing glaucoma care for their patients

RNIB explores benefits of inclusion

During the Labour Party conference, RNIB will host an event to explore how organisations and businesses can benefit when inclusion and accessibility in the development of their products and services.

The panel discussion, RNIB: The Inclusion Dividend, will consider how, by championing accessibility, companies and organisations can help to drive innovation, strengthen communities, and build a fairer society for blind and partially sighted people.

Panellists will share examples of good practice, as well as the social and commercial benefits of inclusivity.

RNIB highlighted research from Kantar in 2023 which indicated that more than half of UK consumers feel a brand’s diversity and inclusion efforts influence their purchase decisions.

Hosted in partnership with the Purpose Coalition, the panel will be chaired by Vidar Hjardeng, inclusion and diversity consultant.

Panellists will include Chris Patnoe, head of accessibility and disability inclusion for Google; Sumaira Latif, the company accessibility leader at Proctor and Gamble, and David Patmore, director of accessibility at ITV.

This is more than a discussion – it’s a call to action to ensure no-one is left behind

Sophie Dodgeon, head of campaigns and public affairs at RNIB, said: “We’ll be exploring the unexpected benefits that businesses can see after making changes to benefit blind and partially sighted people.”

“We’ll share advice for businesses who don’t know where to start in terms of accessibility of their products and services, and what actions we need the UK Government to take to help drive change much faster for the UK’s disabled population in their second year in office,” Dodgeon continued.

She added: “This is more than a discussion – it’s a call to action to ensure no-one is left behind.”