Guildford practice hosts MP visit

A practice in Guildford welcomed a local MP for a visit to learn about the services provided by High Street optometry and how services could be expanded.

Bayfields Opticians & Audiologists in Guildford welcomed Zoë Franklin, MP for Guildford, to tour the facilities.

The visit was organised by the AOP, with Serena Box, AOP head of media, PR and external affairs explaining that the visit provided an opportunity to show Franklin: “What optometry can do, and showcase all the optometry services that are available in Guildford.”

The MP met with members of the practice team, experienced an optical coherence tomography and optomap scan, and discussed the provision of eye care in the community.

Franklin commented: “I think it’s absolutely crucial – the work that frontline opticians do – hospitals, as amazing as they care, are still hospitals and they can feel a bit intimidating. Whereas if you can build in your opticians appointment to going to the post office, popping in to have a cup of tea, it feels much more relaxed and you’re far more likely to do it. Looking after your eye health is really important.”

As a long-term spectacle wearer, Franklin recognises the value of eye health personally, as well as the rapport between patient and optometrist.

She said: “One of the lovely conversations I’ve had today has been about how the team here really build their relationships with their patients.”

“If you’ve got that positive relationship with your frontline care professionals, you’re much more likely to go and seek early help. Our health is so important, so that skillset of great customer service is super important,” Franklin continued.

Reducing pressure in hospital eye services

Martine Dalton, dispensing optician at Bayfields Opticians & Audiologists in Guildford, described the day as “really good fun.”

Sharing her reasons for hosting the MP visit, she said: “I think it’s really useful to talk to somebody in a position to do something about getting people out of hospitals and into the High Street. It’s really important.”

The practice provides a contact lens clinic for the hospital eye service, but Dalton shared that taking on more care in the community could help to take pressure off hospital services.

Glaucoma in particular is one area where Dalton would like to see change. She shared: “We had a client who, because their appointment was put off and put off, they had a serious deterioration in their vision and now they can’t drive – and potentially that could have been prevented.”

Recognising the pressure on hospitals, Dalton said: “You’ve got consultants at the hospital who are seeing patients who they don’t need to see, who can be looked after in the community. And while they are seeing those, there are people who urgently need to be seen and are losing their vision.”

Local optometry practices have the equipment and skills to take on more care in the community, Dalton suggested, commenting: “It would keep pressure out of the hospitals and more people – not just [those] with glaucoma, but with diabetes, everything – would not lose their sight.”

Glaucoma pathways in the community

Box explained: “While we were showcasing the things that work really well for Zoë’s constituents here in Guildford, there are some other areas that could be done better.”

As part of its latest campaign, You Won’t See It Coming, the AOP has been highlighting a glaucoma pathway that operates in Gloucestershire, providing services in the community and reducing the number of patients seen in hospital.

“Something that was talked about today was that in Guildford they don’t have that kind of glaucoma pathway, and that would be of real benefit and value to the patients here in Guildford,” Box said.

Dalton highlighted the issue of “discrepancy” in eye care pathways across the country, including in glaucoma and cataracts services, adding: “There is no one plan.”

“If that could be straight across the country, that would be so fantastic,” she said.

Franklin commented: “We all know that the NHS is under a lot of pressure at the moment, and that relationship between NHS hospitals and practitioners like this out in the community is really important.”

Accessing care on the High Street can help to take pressure off the hospital, but also provide “a great experience in the community,” she continued, adding: “It goes back to people getting early help.”

Looking at the provision of care across the country, Franklin said: “I think it’s really important that we have that consistency of access – of care. We don’t need a postcode lottery: people’s health is at stake, and we really should be trying to ensure there is consistency of approach and healthcare right across the country, wherever you are.”