10/07/26- Natasha Asghar MS visited Julian Davies Opticians where discussions focused on anti-social behaviour in the local area, disparities in digital infrastructure across health boards, and the availability of apprenticeships to support the future optometry workforce.
09/07/26 -Thank you to Sarah Cooper-Lesadd MS for visiting Specsavers Porthcawl to see how primary care optometry practices in Wales are delivering NHS eye care services for patients closer to home that would have historically have been delivered by secondary care ophthalmology. Also good to discuss workforce and skills in optometry including dispensing opticians apprenticeship
21/05/26 – Optometry Wales was delighted to be invited to attend visits with the Chair and Vice Chair of Powys Teaching Health Board today, highlighting the fantastic work being undertaken by optometry practices across Powys to help patients receive care closer to home. The visits included Specsavers Welshpool and Jonathan Partridge Optometrists , showcasing the valuable contribution community optometry makes to local patient care.
17/10/25 -Great to welcome Jack Sargeant MS to Specsavers in Broughton this morning to talk about the NHS services available in optometry practices across Wales and to discuss career pathways including the opportunity for apprenticeships.
29/09/25 – It was a pleasure to welcome Janet Finch-Saunders MS/AS to Gareth Roberts Opticians in Llandudno. We discussed the WGOS contract and the services being undertaken in primary care optometry that historically were undertaken in secondary care. Workforce was discussed as a priority with the practice raising the challenges in recruitment in North Wales.
23/09/25 – Great to welcome Alex Barros-Curtis to Radyr Eyecare to showcase the excellent NHS Wales General Ophthalmic Services available in optometry services, and hear examples of how optometry services are reducing pressure on hospital eye care services and making a positive difference to patients. Great to also discuss the key points of the Optometry Wales manifesto including the importance of digital integration and public eye health awareness.
15/09/25 – Great to welcome Peter Fox MS to The Optical People in Chepstow to showcase the excellent NHS Wales General Ophthalmic Services in primary care #optometry practices and how they are reducing pressure on hospital eye care services. Great to discuss the key points from the Optometry Wales manifesto including digital and public health awareness
28/07/25 – Great to welcome Tom Giffard to Gower Opticians to discuss WGOS 1–5, NHS clinical services in optometry, and key points from the Optometry Wales manifesto, especially digital and public health.
25/07/25 – It was a pleasure to welcome Gareth Davies MS to Specsavers Rhyl today to discuss the excellent clinical services available in primary care optometry and the asks within the Optometry Wales manifesto including the urgent need for a digital strategy to support safe transfer of patients and improve efficiencies and reduce administrative burden. It was also good to talk about the workforce challenges within optometry in North Wales.
07/07/25- Great to welcome Darren Millar MS to Smith Family opticians in Ruthin this morning to discuss the excellent NHS clinical services available through optometry practices in Wales but the urgent need for both a digital strategy – to reduce the administrative burden for practices and safely transfer patients between primary and secondary care and a workforce strategy – especially looking at rural locations away from schools of optometry
13/06/25 – Thank you Alun Davies MS for coming to join us this afternoon at Optical Centre Ebbw Vale, to discuss the excellent NHS services available through optometry practices in Wales including the recent extension to certification of vision impairment (CVI). Also good to talk through the Optometry Wales asks for the 2026 Senedd elections especially the need for a digital strategy.
06/03/25 – Thank you to James Evans MS for joining us at Specsavers in Brecon this afternoon to hear more about the NHS services available through optometry practices including the urgent eye care services, as well as discussing the urgent need for a digital strategy within optometry for patient safety reasons to support the safe transfer of patients between secondary and primary care and to release clinicians from excessive administrative burden.
07/02/25 -Great to welcome Mike Hedges to Bater and Stout Opticians this morning in Morriston to discuss the clinical services available in primary care optometry in Wales including Medical Retina services releasing pressure in secondary care.
17/01/25 – Great to welcome Stephen Kinnock to Specsavers in Maesteg this morning to discuss the excellent NHS services available through primary care optometry in his constituency in particular where they are supporting patient flow out of other parts of the NHS including secondary care. Including the urgent eye care service (WGOS2) independent prescribing (WGOS5) and the roll-out of Glaucoma and Medical Retina monitoring and filtering services (WGOS4)
10/01/25- Great to welcome Lesley Griffiths MS to Schwarz Opticians in Wrexham this morning to discuss the fantastic clinical services available from primary care optometry practices in Wales so that optometry practices should be the first point of call for any urgent eye condition relieving pressure from elsewhere in NHS Wales. Also the need for digitisation to support safer transfer of patients between secondary and primary care. Thank you to Alistair and Gemma for their warm welcome to the practice
07/01/25 – Great to welcome Joyce Watson MS to Specsavers Haverfordwest to discuss the NHS services provided by optometry practices across Wales helping patients to be seen closer to home particularly the urgent eye care and glaucoma services.
18/12/24-Great to welcome Member of the Senedd Heledd Fychan AS/MS to Gwynns Opticians in Pontypridd this lunchtime to discuss the NHS services provided by optometry practices across Wales helping patients to be seen closer to home particularly the independent prescribing and urgent eye care services
18/10/24 – Great to welcome Russell George MS to Specsavers in Newtown this lunchtime to discuss the NHS services provided by optometry practices across Wales including the independent prescribing and urgent eye care services helping patients to be seen closer to home – particularly important in Powys where the geography can mean significant distance to travel. Great to have Abi (Regional Lead, ABDO) at the visit to talk about the important role that Dispensing Opticians and Contact Lens Opticians can undertake to support the delivery of WGOS.
17/10/24- Thankyou to Mabon ap Gwynfor for visiting Alton Murphy Optometrists in Porthmadog this morning to hear about the NHS services available through optometry practices in Wales including how optometry can support with urgent eye care to relieve pressures elsewhere in the NHS.
11/10/24 – John Griffiths visited Specsavers in Spytty Retail Park, Newport to learn about the changes that came in as part of Contract Reform in October last year and the services that optometry practices are delivering to support the NHS in Wales
23/09/24 – Great to welcome Sam Rowlands to Specsavers Broughton this morning at the start of National Eye Health Week, to talk about the NHS services that primary care optometry can deliver.
