11 November 2026
The AOP has highlighted the role that optometrists can play in easing the secondary care workload following a £40 million investment in GP practices.
While welcoming the move to protect vulnerable patients through the winter months, AOP chief executive, Adam Sampson, urged the Government not to overlook the role that optometrists can play in the shift from hospital to community care.
“Helping the public to access care outside of A&E is not just a job for GPs. By making sure primary eye care services delivered by optometrists are available everywhere, we can reduce pressure across the NHS,” he emphasised.
Sampson added that many of the patients that the programme is designed to help are also at a higher risk of sight loss and falls due to reduced vision.
“Eye health is too often overlooked, yet an eye examination by an optometrist can identify problems early, support healthy ageing and help people stay independent for longer,” he highlighted.
Sampson shared that NHS data shows common eye problems account for over 780,000 avoidable A&E admissions each year.
“Optometrists are highly skilled clinicians, already embedded in High Streets across the country and accessible without a long wait,” he said.
He highlighted that while extended clinical services are provided in some parts of England, there is inconsistency in service provision.
Sampson called for optometry to be recognised as “a core part of the shift from hospital to community.”
“There is a clear opportunity to ensure that common eye problems can be treated close to home, but the stark reality is that a postcode lottery is blocking patient access to care,” he said.
“In the same way the public can go to a community pharmacy for a range of health issues wherever they live, community optometry is ready to play an equivalent role for eye health,” Sampson shared.
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