1. Introduction
The UK Government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England, published on 3 July 2025, sets out how the NHS will be reformed.
This briefing highlights the main points of the plan that are relevant to eye care, and our immediate views.
We welcome the alignment of the plan’s proposals with optometry’s established priorities for improving eye health. However, as further implementation details emerge, ongoing evaluation will be needed to fully assess the implications for primary eye care and optometry.
2. Key priorities in the plan and the College’s views
3. Tracking Progress: Monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the plan
While the paper provides a broad direction, many important details remain unclear, particularly on implementation and funding. We note that further information is now being made available, marking the beginning of greater clarity. The planning guidance expected to follow the publication of the plan will be key to providing much-needed detail.
As a profession with a strong track record of delivering care closer to home, a critical next step will be to define how primary care optometry can link in effectively with multi-disciplinary neighbourhood health teams.
Another key opportunity ahead lies in how commissioning responsibilities for community and primary care services will be structured. With the right approach, this can address historic inconsistencies and help ensure equitable access to care across the country. The proposed transition from National Service Frameworks to Modern Service Frameworks (MSFs) represents a promising step toward modernisation. To realise this potential, additional detail will be important. It is essential that the new approach is forward-thinking, with primary eye care positioned at its core, building on what works and avoiding the limitations of past models.