Primary eye care backs three key shifts

The Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO), the College of Optometrists and the Federation of Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians (FODO) have backed the government’s three big shifts in NHS care.

In a joint statement, the organisations said the three key shifts – hospital to community; analogue to digital; and sickness to prevention – were at the core of what primary eye care was about.

They called for urgent implementation of these shifts in the first phase of the NHS 10-year plan to reduce pressures on hospital ophthalmology services and better direct funding to accommodate growing patient needs.

They said that together, they were working to maintain and develop vision testing services, provide solutions to end the postcode lottery and help end avoidable sight loss.