World Optometry Day

23 March 2023

Thursday 23 March is World Optometry Day: Expanding optometry’s role… the time is now!

As part of World Optometry Week, taking place 19–25 March, World Optometry Day seeks to celebrate the contribution of the optometry profession in supporting access to eye health care as a basic human right.

On the day itself, the World Council of Optometry (WCO) will be highlighting the expanding role of the optometry as part of greater global access to eye care, as well as ensuring optometry can thrive within healthcare systems.

Under the theme ‘Expanding Optometry’s role – the time is now’, WCO is advocating for more equitable global access to eye care around the world and for ensuring that, on a global basis, all optometrists have the education and skills to thrive in, and contribute to, the healthcare systems in which they work. Optometry and their representative bodies are being urged to work proactively with their wider eye care colleagues – as well as with their governments – with the joint goal of making eye care accessible, fair, affordable and effective.

Associate professor, Peter Hendicott, WCO president, said:

‘World Optometry Day provides an opportunity for optometry to reflect on its current and possible future roles in expanding access to quality and equitable eye care. It also calls for the optometry sector to consider our responsibilities and potential roles within health care delivery systems, to identify how we can make a maximal contribution to reducing the burden of eye disease and its impact.

We need to ensure that optometrists worldwide possess the necessary skills, knowledge and competencies to effectively move our profession forward to better serve our communities.’

Dharmesh Patel, Chief Executive of Primary Eyecare Services, said:

‘We have a well equipped and skilled workforce in optometry practices across England. They are well placed in the heart of local communities and neighbourhoods to deliver high quality eyecare close to people’s homes.

Expanding the role of Optometry through effective NHS Commissioning, Workforce development and sustainable new models of care in the future are critical to the delivery of sustainable high quality eye care for populations.

Primary Eyecare Services (PES) are working with local stakeholders such as Local Optical Committees, Hospital eye services and NHS commissioners, to support effective delivery of NHS extended services beyond the GOS sight test across large parts of England. We encourage optometry practice teams to get involved in services commissioned locally.’

For more details about World Optometry Week and World Optometry Day, click here.