10. How is the Welsh Government working to improve optometry services in Wales? OQ59030

Welsh Government continues to work with stakeholders to improve optometry services. The intended benefits brought forward by the new optometry contracted terms of service will provide a service framework fit for the future. This will be underpinned by the continued education and training of our primary care optometry workforce. 

Thank you for that answer, Minister. I recently visited Gwynn's Opticians in Aberdare to find out more about independent prescribers and the new optometry contract. I was really impressed to hear about the 70 or so independent prescribers and the work that they can already do in terms of treating and diagnosing conditions like glaucoma and macular degeneration, thanks to a fully funded training programme from the Welsh Government. We know that reform of the NHS to relieve pressure on our hospitals by facilitating the delivery of additional services within local communities is a key priority for the Welsh Government, so can you give us an update on preparations ahead of the official launch of the contract this summer?

Thanks very much. This area is one of the areas I think we should be most proud of where we've been really innovative in Wales. What we're doing is using the skills of highly skilled workers who had those innate skills; these are people who've been very well trained, but we weren't using some of their skills. We've upskilled them even further in order to make sure that they can, as you say, like Gwynn's Opticians, give that independent prescribing to the population. That is giving support within the community. One of our key actions in our manifesto was to make sure that we improve access at the primary care level—this is part of that.

So, what we know is that demand for ophthalmic services is going to increase significantly over the next 20 years. It's back to that ageing population. None of us are going to duck this; we're going to have to confront it and we're going to have to discuss it. We're going to have to understand that the demands on the service are going to increase massively, and we need to have a conversation about that. But, what I am pleased to say is that, following the optometry contract negotiations, new service models and associated costs have been agreed for implementation of the new optometry contracted terms of service, which are now going to be stepped up over the next three years. Certain aspects of the reform will require changes to regulations before they can come into force, so there will be a few tweaks we're going to have to make legally to make some of this possible, but we're on it, and we're hoping to make sure that that is going to be possible, so that Gwynn's Opticians and others can help us even more in the future.

Thank you, Minister.