This week, Dr Pinney appeared on ITV Meridian News. He was asked to discuss the experiences of optometrists who are delivering extended services in the community and how these services are helping to alleviate pressure on other areas of healthcare such as GPs and secondary care.
Under the current system some opticians can offer enhanced services but it is a post code lottery. Dr Pinney said that all optometrists should be able to offer routine care for local NHS patients, and advocated for more work on standardising additional primary care services across the UK. He said:
“Additional primary care services are commissioned locally, and that is why there are a lot of differences throughout the UK, and this is something we need to work forward and standardise those services so we don’t have a postcode lottery in terms of primary eye care provision.”
NHS England is looking at how more patients can be managed in the community, freeing up capacity in hospital eye care departments. However, England is the only country in the UK without a National Eye Strategy!
The full story is available to watch on our facebook page. Dr Pinney, and our Dispensing Optician Jack Thomson, make an appearance around 1min 30!