College comments on UK government's Health Bill

These reforms have the potential to improve eye care access for patients and enable greater use of primary care optometry in delivering high-quality, clinically appropriate eye care closer to home.

We are concerned about the Bill’s implementation. Structural reform alone will not deliver improved outcomes without adequate allocation of resource and consistent commissioning of enhanced eye care services across regions. Without these changes, hospitals will continue to struggle to meet the needs of our communities, and patients will continue to suffer avoidable sight loss. Secure, interoperable, and practical digital systems are also key to support image-sharing and enable optometrists to have full access to shared patient records.

The College will continue working with government, NHS bodies, and our partners to ensure reforms deliver safe, sustainable, and properly supported eye care services across England.