The College of Optometrists has responded to the new NHS 10-year plan.
Its director of policy, Jo Mullin, said: ‘The Plan’s focus on prevention and primary care is laudable; unfortunately eye health barely gets a mention despite the capacity pressures experienced by the HES.
‘Our Enhanced Scheme Evaluation project shows that such schemes are safe and potentially cost-effective. This is a missed opportunity and the College will continue to press commissioners to include these schemes in their plans.’
FODO has also commented on the plan. It said: 'FODO has welcomed the NHS long term plan. It does not directly impact on GOS (with the possible exception of service to care homes) and there is much that community optics, ophthalmology and hearing services can get behind.
'This includes reforming outpatients and moving care out of hospitals into primary and community care, re-emphasis on prevention and early intervention, preservation of patient choice and the establishment of primary care networks of GPs which LOCs can work with and within.'
It did, however, warn that there are some 'potential risks'.
These were 'the (all but) abolition of CCGs and genuine commissioning, the emergence of mega, Trust-led prime contractor models of care – Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) to be rolled out in all locations by April 2021, weakened local levers to challenge policies which might jeopardise patient care and the risk that all additional primary care funding will flow to GPs'.
FODO CEO David Hewlett said: 'All national plans bring opportunities as well as risks and this one is no different. We will certainly have our work cut out to ensure that the services our members offer are not crushed beneath the juggernaut of reform and that the public value we deliver is recognised especially in integrated care systems (ICSs) and primary care networks.'