Five AOP highlights from political party conference season

Hosting ministers at fringe events, pushing the optometry agenda, and tracking down new policymakers after a summer of cabinet reshuffles – it’s all in a month’s work for AOP colleagues

3 min read

Five panellists sit behind a table at an Association of Optometrists event, taking part in a discussion on “Health Outside the Hospital,” with an audience seated in front of them. A presentation screen and banners for the Association of Optometrists and Progress stand behind the panel

Lucy Miller

22 October 2026

The AOP’s external affairs and PR, communications and policy teams spent the autumn working across all five political party conferences, spreading the Eye care everywhere message, speaking to ministers, and hosting primary care-minded MPs at fringe events.

Here, five AOP colleagues tell OT about their highlights from a month of fringe sessions, MP speeches, and exhibition hall conversations.

Serena Box, AOP head of PR and external affairs

“We were delighted to host Dame Diana Johnson at our fringe event. It gave us a valuable opportunity to put our policy priorities directly to the Minister.

“The wider discussion across the panel was engaging and informed by front-line experience – providing a constructive conversation that will help move the dial on how the Government can successfully achieve the community shift.

“We were encouraged by Dame Diana Johnson’s commitment to consider how optometry could be utilised in the same way as Pharmacy First, and we look forward to continuing the conversation.”

Chris Whiting, AOP external affairs officer

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Chris Whiting, AOP external affairs officer

“For me, a highlight was expanding our party conference programme from the usual three conferences to five this year. It gave us the opportunity to engage with a much broader range of politicians and stakeholders, and helped raise the profile of optometry and Eye care everywhere across the political spectrum.”

Ella Latu, AOP governance officer

“As this was my first time attending the Green Party conference, it was an awesome opportunity to see how we engage at both local and national levels. It was interesting to hear MPs discuss their priorities and think about the opportunities for optometry to play a bigger role, particularly around improving access to eye care for every community.”

John White, AOP communications director

“Attending the autumn conferences each year enables us to start new conversations and build relationships with senior MPs across the political parties. This year, the events we hosted and attended ensured we met with the MPs in the Health and Social Care teams for Labour and the Conservatives – which was a particularly important goal to achieve following the major reshuffle in both teams over the summer.”

Dr Peter Hampson, clinical and policy director at the AOP

Portrait of a bald man wearing dark-framed glasses, a green tweed blazer with a lapel pin and a pale blue patterned shirt. He stands beside a modern building, with a pavement, parked cars and trees softly blurred in the background

Dr Peter Hampson, clinical and policy director at the AOP

“Some may have questioned why we attended the range of conferences and events that we did, but the ability to contrast and to make comparison between the parties was incredibly helpful. Where did they overlap and where were there significant differences, that awareness lets us refine our thinking and messaging to make sure we represent our members properly.”

Lead image: Dr Shabina Qayyum, Ian Higginson, AOP chief executive Adam Sampson, Dame Diana Johnson MP and Krupesh Hirani at the AOP’s fringe event at the Labour Party Conference