LOCSU Chief Executive Addresses Independent Policy Institute
14 January 2022
LOCSU’s chief executive Richard Whittington has spoken about optometry in primary care at a webinar organised by Public Policy Projects, an independent policy institute committed to global public policy reform.
Along with other leading primary care professionals representing GP’s, Dentists, and pharmacy he addressed the subject of ‘progressive primary care at scale’.
Richard discussed the need for connectivity of optometry within NHS bodies to ensure it is indeed ‘primary care’ that is delivered.
Afterwards Richard said:
“Hopefully I covered a range of issues and together with other primary care colleagues we started to make a case for an integrated approach.”
LOCSU’s clinical director Zoe Richmond, who attended the webinar, said:
“Optometry is an essential part of the primary care team; the optometrist is arguably the most important appropriate primary care professional to provide first contact care for all eye and sight concerns.”
Other contributors were: Dr Farzana Hussain, Clinical Director, Newham Central 1 Primary Care Network, Professor James Kingsland OBE, Professor at University of Central Lancashire, Paul Batchelor, Dental Lead, National Association of Primary Care and Michael Lennox, Member of the NHS England Local Professional Network for Pharmacy.