Optometry Australia members delivering services under the Visiting Optometrists Scheme are invited to give feedback

By Optometry Australia

Optometry Australia members delivering services under the Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS) have the opportunity to participate in a quick survey. Responses will shape Optometry Australia’s feedback to the Commonwealth Department of Health’s review of the Service Delivery Standards.

Optometry Australia first undertook a survey of VOS providers in 2018, aiming to gain a greater understanding of whether the existing program guidelines and jurisdictional approaches to implementing the scheme were effectively supporting the efficient and sustainable implementation of outreach optometry services in Australia.

Information gathered through the survey has informed Optometry Australia’s policy and advocacy approaches in the two years since.

The VOS Service Delivery Standards provide an overview of the arrangements under which optometrists deliver outreach eye care services to people living in regional, rural and remote locations of Australia, who do not have access to primary eye care services. Jurisdictional fundholders are responsible for administrating the VOS on behalf of the Commonwealth Department of Health, and therefore also responsible for adhering to the standards.

In May 2020, Optometry Australia was advised by the Commonwealth Department of Health that a review of the VOS Service Delivery Standards is currently underway. Optometry Australia is being offered the opportunity to provide comment on the drafted revisions, and is seeking member input through a second iteration of the survey to inform our feedback.

Participate in the survey here. We estimate the survey will take 10 to 20 minutes to complete.

Responses are due by Sunday 21 June 2020.

For further information on the survey or to provide further feedback regarding VOS please contact Optometry Australia’s Member Support and Optometry Advancement team at policy@optometry.org.au