College plans a new future for profession

With the Health Bill and GOS review taking place in 2006, the College of Optometrists has proposed a 'new approach' to primary ophthalmic services to the Department of Health.

It claims that if its blueprint for the future is adopted, optometry will help hospital eye resources meet increasing demands, and lead to the greatest benefits to patients.

In its policy paper the College gave three levels of service that the Health Bill enabled the secretary of state to define <2212> 'essential services', 'additional services' and 'enhanced services'.

The College's ideas are: Tier one, essential services cover the NHS sight test and include providing advice on flashes and floaters, dry eye, watery eye etc.

Tier two, additional services would cover needs-driven examination and treatment.

Tier three, enhanced services. Schemes would work within locally agreed protocols for working in partnership with the hospital eye service, and locally agreed funding arrangements.

College chief executive Bryony Pawinska said: 'As a public benefit body we are able to stand back from the structural, contractual and funding implications, and get into the nitty gritty of what, professionally, the new service should look like.

'Everything that this government wishes to see in terms of more accessible patient care, free at the point of delivery, with a less confusing patient journey, can be provided by optical practices.'

For too long the profession has had to operate at a fraction of its capability within NHS funded services, she said. 'This is a nonsense when the capacity of ophthalmology, orthoptics and ophthalmic nursing is already struggling to meet the demands demographic changes are bringing. The College's proposal addresses the challenges, putting forward services that are innovative and cost effective and better for the profession, NHS and patients alike.'

The College said the AOP, ABDO, FODO and the GOC had given their support to the proposals.