30 March 2026

The College of Optometrists launches its Manifesto for Wales: Securing sustainable eye care

Welsh government urged to go even further to advance optometry services and meet the growing demand for community eye care.

The College of Optometrists has today published its Manifesto for Wales: Securing sustainable eye care, calling on the next Welsh Government to continue leading the way by expanding community eye care services to further improve access to eye care and prevent avoidable sight loss. 

Ophthalmology (hospital-based care) is NHS Wales's busiest outpatient service. Latest data shows there are more than one in 20 people waiting for an ophthalmology appointment, accounting for one in every eight patients (over 80,000 people) on the NHS Wales waiting list. Demand is projected to rise by 40% over the next 20 years, driven by an ageing population and chronic conditions such as diabetes and glaucoma*. 

With the number of people in Wales living with a significant degree of sight loss estimated to rise from 112,000 to 133,000 by 2032**, it’s critical that everyone in Wales can get the specialised eye care they need faster and closer to home. This would reduce hospital waiting lists and delays to treatment, as well as freeing up capacity for more complex cases. 

Our priorities for Wales

The College of Optometrists’ Manifesto for Wales sets out its four priority recommendations for the next Welsh government to build on Wales's strong foundation and further advance access to optometry-led community eye care: 

  • Build a fully digital eye care service 
    It is essential for community optometrists to have fully digital two-way communication between optometry practices and health boards. This includes access to shared electronic patient records, standardised digital imaging and the ability to make seamless digital referrals, in order to deliver timely and coordinated care and prevent avoidable sight loss.  
  • Continue to expand community eye care services 
    The College is calling for the next Welsh government to make full use of the optometry workforce to deliver the promised target of shifting 30,000 hospital setting appointments into primary eye care. 

    The new Welsh government must commit to maintaining and growing the new WGOS community eye care pathways for the benefit of patients across Wales.   
  • Invest in a sustainable skilled optometry workforce
    Investment in education and training is vital to ensure Wales has the optometrists it needs, now and in the future. The College is calling for a national optometry workforce strategy to ensure patients have universal access to highly trained optometrists across Wales - especially in rural and deprived areas - and to prioritise upskilling to provide advanced community services. 

    Welsh universities and employers also need adequate funding and resources to support optometry students undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate clinical learning for pre-registration and postgraduate prescribing and specialist qualifications.  
  • Address inequalities in access to eye care services 
    The College is calling for more public health interventions and a public education campaign to encourage adults and children to attend for regular eye examinations, specifically targeted at more disadvantaged communities and vulnerable patient groups.  

    Optometrists working in the community are in an ideal position to deliver public health messages on health and lifestyle, in addition to their crucial core role in eye health and in helping identify conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.  

“We’re asking the next Welsh government to build on Wales’s eye care success by prioritising investment in eye care digital infrastructure and connectivity to ensure patients can access high-quality, timely and safe eye care in their local community. Further expanding community eye care services, making full use of the highly skilled optometry workforce, further supporting training, and promoting the importance of eye care to people in communities across Wales would all support optometrists in delivering more eye care, where and when patients need it.”   

Nkosi Yearwood MCOptom, Wales Council Member, The College of Optometrists

Related further reading

In this guest column, Kevin Gutsell, President of ABDO, reflects on how closely aligned the professions have become – and must continue to be – as the eye care landscape evolves.