The College of Optometrists has maintained its recommendation that optometrists should continue to follow its Amber Phase guidance following the commencement of a new national lockdown on January 5.
In a statement, the College explained that practitioners ‘should continue to provide needs and symptoms led primary eye care under the new restrictions, in line with all other primary health services.’
Amber Phase guidance, initially issued by the College in June 2020, permitted routine eye care to continue but specified that essential and emergency cases should be prioritised.
During the first national lockdown in March the College had recommended that practitioners follow Red Phase guidance. The College’s Covid-19 guidance stated that Red Phase guidance would be recommended when the government or health service suspended routine primary care during a full lockdown, and so stopped short of this step this time.
Its statement explained: ‘The Red Phase will be initiated if and when the national governments and respective health systems suspend routine primary care services. We are now at a very different level of preparedness than the first lockdowns in March, with IPC procedures in place, changes to clinical practice now embedded and lateral flow tests and PPE readily available.’
The College added: ‘While we recognise that optometric practice during a lockdown is challenging, access to an optometrist is critical in ensuring the preservation of vision and prevention of sight loss. This will also help to relieve pressure on NHS hospital services.’
AOP advice
A separate Association of Optometrists (AOP) statement explained that Amber Phase guidance should include the use of longer appointment times and strict infection control requirements.
The AOP added: ‘Many AOP members are understandably concerned about the risks of continuing to provide face to face eye healthcare in the current circumstances. We accept that under the current NHS, Government and College guidance, practices are able to offer routine eye care where capacity allows. However, if a practice continues to offer routine care at this time, it must maintain stringent measures to manage the risks of Covid-19 infection.
‘We are monitoring the situation closely and are in contact with the College, NHS England and the UK optometry bodies. We will update members immediately if our view of the risks involved in providing care during the current lockdown changes.’