The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched a consultation into whether optometrists and contact lens opticians (CLOs) should be given access to a wider range of medicines to treat minor eye conditions in the community.
Extending the medicines responsibilities of non-medical professionals, enabling them to meet more of the health needs of their local populations, fulfils a key ambition of the 10 Year Health Plan in shifting care from hospital to community.
Health minister, Stephen Kinnock, said: “Through our Plan for Change, we are shifting more care out of hospital and into the community – getting care to patients’ doorsteps by empowering healthcare professionals in communities. These proposed changes would unlock the full potential of optometrists and contact lens opticians, cutting red tape and making it easier for patients to get treatment for minor eye conditions, such as allergic conjunctivitis, without the need to visit their GP or hospital unnecessarily – freeing up appointments in hospital and primary care.
“As we build an NHS fit for the future, we are putting patients first, delivering care on their doorstep, making the best use of our skilled health professionals, all while boosting productivity and efficiency. I would encourage practitioners and patients to have their say on these proposals to ensure we are delivering on our 10 Year Health Plan commitments,” he added.
Max Halford, clinical and policy director for ABDO, said: “We warmly welcome this consultation and the future opportunity for CLOs, with additional training, to provide a wider range of medicines for the care of their patients. This development has been many years in the making within the eyecare sector and the DHSC, however, progress was delayed by both Brexit and Covid.
“It is hugely encouraging to see health minister Stephen Kinnock recognise the vital role of contact lens opticians and optometrists in delivering more care within the community. These proposals reflect the commitments in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan to reduce unnecessary hospital referrals and strengthen primary care,” continued Max. “Dispensing opticians have a huge opportunity to help build an NHS ‘fit for the future’, and these suggested changes will help us deliver care closer to home, making best use of our clinical skills. Please do take the opportunity to share your feedback with us.”
Dr Paramdeep Bilkhu, clinical adviser at the College of Optometrists, commented: “Enabling optometrists to supply a wider range of prescription only medicines will ensure more patients receive effective treatment for many common minor eye conditions at their local optical practice, without having to be referred to a prescriber or wait for a GP appointment. The College, along with many others in the sector, have long called for a review of the Human Medicines Regulations Exemptions for optometrists, to improve patient access to timely treatment. If these proposals are agreed and implemented, optometrists can continue to play a key role in reducing the burden on A&E departments and GPs, who often lack the specialist ophthalmic training and equipment needed to handle most eye conditions. By expanding the number of medicines that all optometrists can supply to patients, optometrists’ core skills will be better utilised to improve patient outcomes and experiences, particularly where commissioned acute eyecare services are available. We urge our members, all healthcare professionals and the public to support these proposals to improve eyecare in the community.”
Dr Peter Hampson, optometrist and clinical and policy director at the Association of Optometrists, said: “Our sector has the premises, the equipment and the clinical skills to deliver specialist eyecare for a range of conditions. But the profession’s potential is currently being restricted by outdated exemptions within the Human Medicines Regulations, which too often means optometry has to redirect patients to their GP so that they can be given simple medications for allergies. Widening the access of medicines for all optometrists and contact lens opticians will transform the experience for the public. Commissioned MECS and CUES services, that do so much more, are already shown to take pressure off the NHS. This announcement supports the success of those services and improves care for patients.”
ABDO will be responding to the consultation and is encouraging members to share their views by emailing policy@abdo.org.uk with the subject line ‘MHRA consultation’ by 31 October 2025.
DHSC consultation background:
View the DHSC consultation and its proposals.
The consultation is open for 12 weeks and will close at 11:59pm on 27 November 2025.