Optometry QLD/NT advocates for a strengthened role for optometry in QLD Health

Optometry Queensland Northern Territory (OQNT) has actively engaged in the Queensland Government’s Health Workforce Strategy consultation, urging QLD Health to prioritise eye health in the context of an aging population and an increasing prevalence of chronic eye diseases.  

OQNT advocated for initiatives which seek to support and retain the current workforce; called for new pipelines of talent through embedding and integrating more optometrists within the QLD Health workforce; and emphasised the need for innovative solutions to optimise resource utilisation and improve patient outcomes.  

Fiona Moore, Optometry Queensland Northern Territory President said, ‘The current healthcare landscape demands innovative solutions to optimise resource utilisation and improve patient outcomes.  

Queensland’s 1300 AHPRA-registered optometrists possess a set of skills—including the diagnosis and management of common eye conditions—that can significantly contribute to the overall effectiveness of the healthcare system, especially eye health care within the hospital setting.’

OQNT’s submission underlines successful instances where optometrists have streamlined triage processes and expedited patient assessments in various health services, including the Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Wynnum, Princess Alexandra Hospital in the Metro South HHS, Queensland Children’s Hospital, and Gold Coast University Hospital. 

In responding to sections of the draft Strategy which propose the need to build new pipeline of talent, OQNT called for implementation of innovative solutions that can maximise efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and enhance overall healthcare delivery. 

OQNT strongly advocated for initiatives which embed optometrists in hospital settings, to help relieve the workload on other healthcare professionals and ensure timely patient access. OQNT further urged Queensland Health to consider practical and low-cost initiatives, such as collaboration with the Optometry and Vision Science program at QLD University of Technology to establish clinical placement opportunities within hospital outpatient clinics. In regional services where tertiary care is limited, OQNT suggests exploring the contracting of local optometrists to support patient management within hospitals or community settings.  

Finally, the draft Strategy considers ways to adapt and innovate in service delivery. OQNT highlighted successful collaborations between optometry and ophthalmology across Australia, such as the successful Paediatric Optometry Alignment Program established by Queensland Children’s Hospital, with a call for Queensland Health to fully harness the potential benefits of effectively utilising community-based optometrists. OQNT emphasised the need for contemporary, and well-known pathways of care, and for QLD Health to support and enable workforce transitions to agile new ways of working, enabled by seamless integration of technology to improve and streamline service delivery.  

Optometry Queensland Northern Territory has welcomed the opportunity to collaborate closely with QLD Health and the Queensland Government to most effectively utilise the world-class skill set of QLD optometrists to support better eye health outcomes for Australians.