Local optometric committees last week voted overwhelmingly in favour of establishing a central support unit and funding it by means of a half per cent statutory levy on NHS fees.
At a special meeting of the National Optometric Conference, the LOCs voted 70 to seven for the unit, a result which has pleased leading optometric bodies.
'We are delighted that the profession has grasped this opportunity,' said Bob Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Optometrists.
The unit would give the profession 'more clout', he said, not only by advising individual LOCs in negotiating ophthalmic services contracts but also by funding research that could be used to build the argument for eye care in the community.
Association of British Dispensing Opticians president Kevin Milsom also hailed the vote as 'good news for the wider profession and for the patients we serve'.
David Hewlett, chief executive of the Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians said it was crucial the unit was established as soon as possible, as the optometric profession was likely to face significant challenges in coming months as primary care trusts began to commission ophthalmic services.
Professional advice and support for LOCs was essential, he said, if optometric professionals wished to take on an expanded role in community eye care. Establishing this unit, Hewlett said, was a step towards 'safeguarding the future of the profession'.
His sentiments were echoed by Simon Browning, co-chair of the professional executive committee of Bedfordshire PCT. The optometric professions, he said, needed to 'wake up to what PCTs will be putting in these contracts'.
'We might think we can provide the expanded services, but can we do everything in these contracts?' he asked.
Work to recruit the head of the unit will begin immediately, and LOCs will shortly be advised as to the amount they will be asked to contribute.