Simon Jones: Vote winner

Some of the most interesting pieces of news have a habit of breaking on Tuesdays when Optician is going to press. Not a problem in the world of online news and periodicals, but as a weekly title, I often find myself having to use op-ed columns as a vehicle to break news. Not a major issue, but certainly not ideal.

I have no problem talking about today’s news, though. The announcement of the Labour Party’s plans to formally utilise high street optical practices to deliver NHS outpatient appointments should be like music to the optometry sector’s ears.

During an address to the Institute for Government (IfG) earlier this week (Tuesday, January 23), shadow health minister Karin Smyth said Labour, if elected, would seek to negotiate with high street opticians to drive down ophthalmology waiting lists that now exceed 619,000.