Senedd Member Joel James MS met with representatives from Optometry Wales today at the Welsh Parliament to discuss primary care optometry services.
If you woke up with an eye problem, where would you go? Who would you speak to first? Many people face this dilemma every day, yet many are unaware of their available options.
This event provided a valuable opportunity for Members to learn more about these options and to raise awareness of the optometry services offered by practices across Wales. This includes the urgent eye care service and the independent prescribing service, both of which help relieve pressure on other areas of NHS Wales.
During the event, Members also learned about the new optometry contract launched in October 2023, along with some of the challenges faced by practices, particularly in comparison to other sectors of primary care. These challenges include the need for both a workforce and a digital strategy.
Speaking after the event, Joel said:
It was great to meet with Optometry Wales today and discuss the future of community Optometry services in Wales.
Regular eye testing can help diagnose many eye conditions early on, such as glaucoma and medical retina eye conditions, and prevent people from losing their eyesight.
Wales has the potential to lead the UK in providing community optometry services however limitations in digitally sharing data among hospitals, optometrists and GP’s means that patient information has to be repeatedly duplicated in paper format.
This issue doesn’t just affect optometry but many departments in the NHS, I will be raising this issue with the Welsh Government and challenging them on why they are dragging their feet on this important issue.
