Eye care commissioning campaign launched

A campaign has been launched by the Association of Optometrists (AOP) to prevent a health emergency by ensuring more care was commissioned in community optometry.

It was launched after the AOP submitted a Freedom of Information request that revealed patients have lost their sight due to NHS backlogs.

Adam Sampson, chief executive at the AOP, said: ‘It’s incomprehensible and absolutely tragic that patients are waiting, losing their vision, in many parts of the country because of the way eye healthcare is commissioned. With a national strategy for eye care, we can take a critical stride towards improving care and outcomes for patients.'