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Joint committees have been formed by the Association of Optometrists (AOP) and the Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians (FODO) to provide 'a more united voice for the commercial, manufacturing and retail parts of the eye health sector'.

Both organisations are inviting other optical partners to join the new committees which will deal with policy and strategy (chaired by Brian Carroll and Michael George), education (chaired by Ed Bickerstaffe and Glenn Tomison), primary care (chaired by Kevin Thompson), and communication and public affairs (chaired by Jayne Rawlinson). A new working group on information and IT will also be formed with the chair to be announced.

'This is the first step of what we hope will be a productive process which will improve our effectiveness as a sector,' said FODO chairman Paul Carroll (pictured). 'With a unified voice, standing and speaking together, we will have far more impact for our sector and our patients.'

AOP chairman Michael Charlton commented: 'FODO and the AOP already had similar and overlapping committees with cross memberships. The time is now right to streamline these arrangements and also to open them up to our optical partners more widely.'

In the wake of the announcement, the AOP will abolish its negotiation and legislation, and education committees while its public affairs committee will become the new primary care committee. FODO will abolish its negotiation and Europe committee and its education and professional standards committees.

The first meetings of the new committees will be held on November 11.

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