Tackling public eye health requires a co-ordinated effort across the sector, the College of Optometrists has stressed.
A roundtable event was hosted by the College this week, where attendees discussed the impact of changes to the commissioning process and the new structure of the NHS on eye health, and the way eye health is prioritised by councils.
The event was attended by 20 bodies across healthcare, including those within eye care, nursing, commissioning and academia.
It follows a College workshop last month to discuss public health data and how it can be better used to improve public eye health.
The College said a joint strategy formed at last year's roundtable (News 09.12.11) had resulted in a more collaborative approach across the sector, and successes including an eye health indicator in England and support for prioritising the avoidance of preventable sight loss by the Welsh Assembly.