Association of Optometrists

The General Optical Council (GOC) is exploring how registration fees for optical professionals are set and collected.

Have your say and shape our response by taking part in a short survey.

Qualified practising AOP members and final-year student members should have received an invitation on Monday (1st June) – please check your junk folder or contact [email protected] for further questions.

We are pleased to recognise the outstanding contribution of AOP Councillor, Kevin Thompson, who has been awarded the Peter Yeo Medal. The award reflects nearly two decades of his exceptional service to the profession and to the AOP.

As he retires from his role representing directors of independent practices, the award marks the conclusion of 18 years of dedicated service. Throughout this time, he has contributed to a wide range of committees, supported the development of key resources and represented the profession across the General Optical Council, NHS and LOCSU.

The Peter Yeo Medal is a fitting recognition of his remarkable impact and leadership, and we extend our sincere thanks for his lasting contributions.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/SPQB50Z7CVa

Should registration fees be different for different groups? Should payments be made by instalments? How should fees be set in future?

These are some of the questions being considered by the GOC.

We're inviting members to share their views through a short survey to help inform the AOP's response.

📧 Check your inbox for your survey invitation.
⏳ Closes at midnight on 15 June.

📖 Find out more:
https://ow.ly/HY6750Z6k3e

Did you know AOP affinity insurance partner Lloyd & Whyte Group can also help with your personal cover?

From home insurance to motor, travel, and private medical insurance, their advisers offer tailored guidance to help you find the right protection at a price that works for you.

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Simple, supportive cover – when and where you need it most.

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We're recruiting student and newly-qualified optometrists to join the AOP Council.

Four new positions are open — As a councillor, you'll help shape the future of optometry, represent your peers in key discussions, and develop your leadership skills within the AOP.

Applications open: 8 June 2026

Head to our website for more details. https://www.aop.org.uk/about-us/governance-and-structure/council/new-roles-on-the-aop-council

We are hosting a joint webinar with sector bodies, exploring how primary eye care can play a more involved role across the glaucoma pathway to deliver more patient centred care.

The session will examine the challenges facing glaucoma services and highlight opportunities for innovation through shared care, better use of data and closer collaboration between primary and secondary care.

The webinar will take place on 30 June, from 7:30 - 8:45pm.

Find out more and register: https://ow.ly/HlMH50Z5elu

Eid-ul-Adha Mubarak to all our members celebrating – we wish you a blessed and joyful day.

We joined sector bodies to welcome NHS England's new Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) glaucoma guidance. It represents a significant step towards improving consistency in glaucoma care.

Our collective response highlights the need for clear communication and collaboration across the eye care sector to ensure patients benefit from these changes.

We highlight a shared commitment to supporting services as they adapt to the updated recommendations. By working together across primary and secondary care, the sector can help ensure that the guidance is applied in a way that maintains access to care for people living with glaucoma.

Read the statement: https://ow.ly/rCyL50Z2P6t

The Government’s new Health Bill sets out a vision to modernise the NHS and improve early diagnosis and community care. Yet optometry has been largely overlooked. This is a missed opportunity to relieve pressure across the system and improve outcomes for patients.

Optometry is equipped with the clinical expertise, workforce capacity and community presence to manage a wide range of eye conditions safely and effectively. With the right commissioning structures and investment, the profession could play a central role in reducing avoidable demand on GPs, ophthalmology and A&E. The Health Bill acknowledges the need for earlier intervention and more care closer to home, but without integrating the whole of primary care, there is a real risk that the reforms simply reinforce pressures in the NHS that they aim to resolve.

Without proper integration into NHS planning, the opportunity to transform eye care will be lost. To deliver change, systems that involve or rely on optometry must be co-designed with the profession.

Read the briefing: https://ow.ly/I7Jy50Z2OYT

Three new members have been elected to our Hospital Optometrists Committee (HOC).

The HOC represents optometrists working in hospitals and related settings, strengthening collaboration, and driving hospital eye care forward.

The newly elected members are:

- Samuel Comely (re-appointed HOC Chair), Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Rosalind Creer, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
- Katherine Smith, University Hospital Bristol and Weston

Visit our website to find out more about the committee: https://www.aop.org.uk/about-us/governance-and-structure/committees