1:30min
Improving the eye health of Australian children is the initial focus of a new collaborative eye care working group. Three of Australia’s national eye health professional organisations have joined forces to design and implement models of care to provide valuable and much needed paediatric ophthalmology services.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO), Optometry Australia (OA) and Orthoptics Australia will establish a cross-discipline collaborative eye care working group. Together, they will develop and implement models of collaborative care that enhance individual patient access to much needed eye care services, as well as enhancing the overall effectiveness of the eye health system.
This initiative follows RANZCO’s Vision 2030 and Beyond plan to prevent avoidable blindness and achieve equitable access to eye healthcare services across Australia and Optometry Australia’s Working Together for Beter Eye Care plan and national symposium.
Paediatric eye care is the first area of focus, with plans to be developed and implemented over the next 12 months.
President of RANZCO, Dr Grant Raymond, welcomed the formation of the working group, stating that ‘This is an opportunity to develop high-value collaborative models of care, working with optometrists and orthoptists, to develop clearly defined roles and pathways.’
The National President of Optometry Australia, Dr Margaret Lam, strongly supported the increased focus on collaborative eye care, saying ‘This is an opportunity to build mutually beneficial relationships with ophthalmologists and orthoptists that recognise each other’s skills and competencies.’
Dr Amanda French, National President of Orthoptics Australia, said ‘I am very pleased that the working group will focus initially on paediatric eye care where orthoptists have a key role to play.’
RANZCO, Optometry Australia and Orthoptics Australia agreed that the collaborative eye care working group would include ophthalmologists, optometrists and orthoptists with practical knowledge and experience in collaborative care, particularly in relation to paediatric eye care.
Eye care advocacy in Canberra
The collaborative care announcement outlined above was a key focus of Vision 2020 Australia’s annual Parliamentary Friends Group for eye health and vision care event, held at Parliament House in Canberra. Several of the Optometry Australia team attended the event, as well as took the opportunity to meet with the Department of Health and attend the leader symposium, also organised by Vision 2020 Australia.
