ABDO, the Association of Optometrists and the Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians have reached out to the new Labour government to follow up pre-election and manifesto commitments to work with primary eyecare to tackle long hospital ophthalmology waiting times and prevent avoidable sight loss.
Primary eyecare representative bodies said: “It is time to end avoidable sight loss due to delays in care. We will work with new ministers and NHS leadership to deliver commitments made on the campaign trail and in the manifesto.
“We know what works. We have the clinical pathways, we have the clinical teams and we have the capacity to help make a massive difference quickly and cost-effectively.
“We are ready to make the long overdue shift from an NHS model overly reliant on secondary care to a more preventive primary eye care service, which delivers more care closer to home.
“It is time for the NHS in England to transform eyecare services. We have let ministers and civil servants know that we are ready to start work to deliver better care for the millions of patients we serve.”