Political Visits

07/02/25- Mike Hedges MS attended Bater & Stout Opticians in Morriston, to discuss the clinical services available in primary care optometry in Wales, including Medical Retina services releasing pressure in secondary care.

17/01/25- Stephen Kinnock MP attended Specsavers in Maesteg to discuss the excellent NHS services available through primary care optometry in his constituency in particular where they are supporting patient flow out of other parts of the NHS including secondary care. Including the urgent eye care service (WGOS2) independent prescribing (WGOS5) and the roll-out of Glaucoma and Medical Retina monitoring and filtering services (WGOS4)

10/01/25- Lesley Griffiths MS attended Schwarz Opticians in Wrexham to discuss the fantastic clinical services available from primary care optometry practices in Wales so that optometry practices should be the first point of call for any urgent eye condition relieving pressure from elsewhere in NHS Wales. Also the need for digitisation to support safer transfer of patients between secondary and primary care.

07/01/25- Joyce Watson MS attended Specsavers Haverfordwest  to discuss the NHS services provided by optometry practices across Wales helping patients to be seen closer to home particularly the urgent eye care and glaucoma services.

18/10/24- Russell George, MS (Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee) attended Specsavers in Newtown and met with Judy Misra (OW CEO), Abi Crutcher (ABDO Wales Regional Lead and CLO) and David Dunlop (Branch Director and Independent Prescriber) the following items were discussed:

• Contract Reform and the services now able to be provided through optometry practices for NHS Wales and in particular WGOS2, WGOS 3 and WGOS5
• Skill mix – services that can be provided by Dispensing Opticians and Contact Lens Opticians
• Workforce Challenges – and recruitment issues in Powys as is seen in the other primary care professions
• The need for a digital solution to support patient referrals and access to patient records

17/10/24- Mabon Ap Gwynfor, MS (Plaid Cymru health and care spokesperson) attended Alton Murphy in Porthmadog and met with Judy Misra (OW CEO) and Manon (NWROC Chair) very interesting visit and discussed:

• WGOS2 and the need to raise public awareness for patients to use optometry as the first port of call for all eye conditions
• WGOS4 roll-out and the support that optometry practices can provide to hospital eye services
• WGOS5 – upskilling of the workforce  to provide prescribing
• Relationships with BCUHB
• Workforce challenges particularly in the west of North Wales

11/10/24 – John Griffiths MS visited Specsavers, Spytty Retail Park, Newport.

The following matters were discussed on the visit:

• The changes to optometry following optometry contract reform
• Independent Prescribing and WGOS 4 services
• Urgent Eye Care services and how the services are open to all patients irrespective of whether they pay for their sigh tests
• Children’s eye tests
• Equipment costs and concerns that optometry do not have access to Premises Improvement Grants

23/09/24 – Sam Rowlands, MS attended a visit  to Specsavers, Broughton. The following matters were discussed on the very successful visit:

• How primary care optometry can support the NHS in Wales following contract reform
• Need for digital solutions to support primary care optometry delivery of Contract Reform and enable safe patient referrals to and from secondary care.
• Workforce challenges and the need for a School of Optometry in North Wales
• Working with BCUHB

With thanks to Kelly Gibson and Alex Tang for hosting the visit.