‘Utilise Primary Care’ to Tackle GP Access Challenges, Eye Experts Say
2 March 2026
“At a time when public confidence in accessing GP services is fragile, it is vital that the Government acts to ensure that all patients can visit an optician in the community if they think they have an eye problem, in the same way the public can go to a community pharmacy for a range of health issues” – Adam Sampson, Association of Optometrists
Commenting on new polling from the Health Foundation and Ipsos, which found that nearly half of the public (48%) delayed or avoided contact with their GP practice about a health concern, Adam Sampson, Chief Executive of the Association of Optometrists (AOP), said:
“It’s clear that the public are reluctant to contact their GP because they have concluded the service is overstretched and inaccessible. This represents a risk not only to individual health outcomes, but will add greater strain on the Government’s commitment to improve the NHS by shifting healthcare out of hospitals into the community and from sickness to prevention.
“Primary care is the front door to the NHS. General practice is a cornerstone of the service, but to ensure GPs are able to offer the support the public expect, it is essential that all of primary care – community pharmacies, dental practices and opticians – are fully able to each play their part to improve access to healthcare.
“Currently, primary eye care services are an under-utilised clinical resource. Every day, optometrists manage common eye conditions and eye problems on the High Street, reduce avoidable pressure on GPs and hospital eye departments, playing a crucial role in identifying wider health issues – from diabetes to hypertension – through routine sight tests.
“But while such services exist in most parts of the UK, there are parts of England where they are not yet in place. At a time when confidence in accessing GP services is fragile, it is vital that the Government acts to close the gaps so that all patients can visit an optician in the community if they think they have an eye problem, in the same way the public can go to a community pharmacy for a range of health issues.
“With the right commitment from Government, community optometry – just like community pharmacy – can do so much more to provide timely, local, NHS-funded care and ensure the public are not delaying treatment that could prevent avoidable sight loss.”
As part of its One million appointments campaign the AOP calls on the Government and NHS in England to support a nationwide eye care service delivered in High Street opticians for all common eye conditions and problems, to improve access for patients.
A PA Consulting report Key interventions to transform eye care and eye health reveals the untapped impact of primary eye care and its benefits to public health.