How can the optical sector help change public perceptions of eye care?

A new Labour government has just come into power with an ambition, as set out in their election manifesto, to see more eyecare services delivered in community and high street settings to help ease pressure on GPs and hospitals. We fully support this commitment. Supported by our education and training reforms, we think the optical workforce is well equipped to help deliver on this ambition. Many GOC registrants are also expanding their clinical skills by gaining additional qualifications in areas such as independent prescribing and glaucoma management.

However, one challenge will be making the public aware they can access these clinical services from our registrants. Despite public health messages over the years encouraging the public to visit an optical practice for common eye conditions there is still a disconnect between the services available today and the more traditional public perceptions of what practices can offer.

Our annual public perceptions survey shows many are still turning to GP practices, pharmacies, A&E and eye clinics for problems with their sight. Last year’s survey found that optical practices had finally overtaken GPs as the first port of call for emergency eyecare problems, however, this year numbers have fallen suggesting that progress is stalling.

There are also significant differences between different population groups and nations within the UK. For example, those in England continue to be much less likely to go to an optical practice first compared to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Young people (16-24), and ethnic minorities are more likely to turn to an eye hospital.

The top three reasons why people go elsewhere are that they don’t think they’ll get a same day appointment, they think they’ll have to pay for treatment, and they think optometrists won’t be able to prescribe medication. These are largely misplaced notions, given that many community and high street practices offer same day emergency slots, and can prescribe medications for a range of eye conditions.

Our surveys show that the optical workforce and optical businesses are continuing to expand their clinical remit. The challenge for the sector now is to ensure these messages are filtered down to the public. The pharmacy sector has recently benefited from a public awareness campaign highlighting the range of conditions that pharmacists can now treat without the need to see a GP. It would be great to see better promotion of what optical practices can offer, and we will play our part as a regulator to support the sector to accelerate progress.