College of Optometrists

1 May 2012 Return to news listings

Following the publication of our strategic plan for 2011-14 (www.college-optometrists.org/strategicplan) we decided to shift the emphasis of our public relations work. We still want to raise the profile of optometry, but we want to do more to help us meet our strategic objectives. We particularly want to concentrate on
•    engaging all optometrists
•    increasing the understanding among the public about what optometrists do
•    contributing to the development of health care policy and standards of eye care and its delivery.

We decided that we want our PR activity to support members by helping members of the public to understand that optometrists are the eye health experts on the high street, and that members of the College will give them the best possible service.

We will support all optometrists by raising the profile of optometry with commissioners.  In the changing healthcare landscape, we want health media to include the College in any eye health conversations. We aim for decision makers at all levels, including clinical commissioning groups and national government, to see the College as the voice of optometrists who are the experts in eye health, and to want College input and participation in eye health decisions. We want the role of the optometrist in public health to be recognised and, where appropriate, extended.

We want MCOptom and FCOptom recognised as a measure of an optometrist’s commitment to the profession and to the health of their patients.  We still want to help patients and the public to appreciate that their eye health is important, and to give them clear messages about keeping their eyes healthy.  And we still need to keep optometry as a profession in the forefront of conversations about vision and eye health.

Because of this, we ran a tender process to make sure we have the right agency to partner with us, which was won by Grayling. 

We have achieved fantastic coverage in the consumer media in the last five years. Grayling will build on the excellent work carried out by 3 Monkeys Communications, and will help us increase understanding of the role of optometrists among the public, government, national standard setting bodies, commissioning organisations and opinion formers.