LOCSU Joins Five Nations in Strategic Edinburgh Meeting
5 February 2026
LOCSU leadership joined organisations from across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland at an enriching Five Nations meeting in Edinburgh this January.
Hosted by Optometry Scotland, the event promoted collaborative working across optometry, bringing together sector leaders to share insights and discuss key priorities.
Attendance included important sector partners in ABDO, AOP, FODO and the College of Optometrists, who joined Optometry Ireland, Optometry Northern Ireland, Optometry Wales, and the hosts in driving the conversation for the future of eye care across the five nations.
On behalf of England, LOCSU CEO, Janice Foster, discussed the ever-evolving local NHS landscape, detailing support offered to LOCs to engage effectively within the new structures and to ensure primary care optometry is well positioned to help in delivering the NHS 10-year plan.
Janice said: “The opportunity to come together as Five Nations is invaluable.
“It provides an unparalleled platform to share intelligence and debate the key eye care opportunities and challenges of the current day, whilst also horizon scanning to shape advancements of the future.
“There may be regional and national differences, but there are also similarities.
We may all work in different areas, but we all carry the same sense of belonging. We belong to a passionate, talented profession who have an overwhelming desire to make a difference, working tirelessly to protect and preserve the sight of people in the UK and Ireland.”
Clinical Director, Zoe Richmond, focussed on the challenging commissioning landscape and provided examples of the guidance given to help local leaders secure and expand their enhanced glaucoma pathways.
Zoe also provided a brief update on the cardio-vascular disease (CVD) case-finding pilots which some LOCs across England have been involved with.
She said: “The Five Nations meetings are always rich with content and learning. National leaders share their successes and their pain points and plan strategically for what has the potential to impact us all.
“It’s important that we speak to the challenges but also to the green shoots, which is why I chose to cover the CVD case-finding work as an example.
“There’s around 5.5 million people with undiagnosed hypertension in England; current NHS Health Checks reach about 50% of eligible people. Identifying these people is a priority written into the NHS health plan.
“We wanted to test if optometry could reach some of the people who wouldn’t otherwise be seen and contribute to CVD case-finding and the prevention agenda.
“Through this approach, LOCs can secure a seat at the table and bring enhanced eye care onto the agenda in another way.”
Over the course of the event, the College of Optometrists provided an update on their research covering the safety and effectiveness of glaucoma referral filtering services, which LOCSU will share with LOCs once published.
Wales and Scotland shared details of their low vision services, whilst Dr Peter Hampson, Clinical and Policy Director at AOP, led a session inviting discussion on the Department of Transport’s proposals to introduce mandatory sight checks for older drivers.
Max Halford, Clinical and Policy Director at ABDO, and Graeme Stevenson, ABDO Regional Lead for Scotland, shared learning from their recent member survey into pay and reward for Dispensing Opticians (DO) across the UK.
Brian McKeown, Chair for Optometry Northern Ireland, led a session on lobbying for change, whilst Optometry Ireland presented a case study highlighting their work exploring the opportunities and challenges of sustainability in optometry.
LOCSU would like to thank Optometry Scotland for hosting such a fantastic event, and to all who attended and shared in the efforts of collaboration.