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the AOP roadmap: what it means for optometrists.
- Nori Knight
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
The Association of Optometrists recently published its 2026–2030 Five-Year Strategy.
It puts into words a lot of the conversation the profession has been having for years. More clinical responsibility. More care delivered closer to home. Better use of technology. A bigger role for optometrists within the wider healthcare system.
It’s an exciting direction. But strategies focus on where a profession wants to go. They don't tell you whether your current job is helping you get there. But we can...
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is your workplace keeping up?
One of the biggest themes running through the strategy is helping optometrists spend more time using the skills they've trained for. That means more clinical responsibility, more opportunities to develop, and greater recognition as part of frontline healthcare.
But it only becomes real if your practice gives you the time, support, and opportunities to actually work that way.
We speak to optometrists every day who feel they're capable of more than they're currently able to do. That doesn't necessarily mean they're working for a bad employer. Often, it's just the reality of busy clinics, short appointment times, or a lack of opportunities to develop clinically.
Some practices are already embracing that wider clinical role. Others are still trying to find the capacity.
"The most common eye conditions estimated to increase by 25% between now and 2032. It is time to ensure the true potential of optometry is realised."
— AOP Strategy 2026–2030
the profession is changing (and so are expectations).
The strategy doesn't shy away from some of the challenges either.
Independent practices continue to face pressure. Consolidation is reshaping the market. More optometrists are working as locums or in flexible roles, sometimes because that's what they want, sometimes because it's the option available.
At the same time, newer generations of optometrists are looking for different things from their careers. Work-life balance matters. Flexibility matters. Career development matters.
The practices that adapt to those expectations are likely to be the ones that attract and keep good people.
what optometrists are saying.
Rob Mould, Founder and MD of Talentshed, says those conversations haven't changed much over the years.
"I've worked in optics recruitment for more than 15 years, so not much surprises me anymore. The AOP's strategy talks about the future of the profession, and I think it's heading in the right direction. But the conversations we're having with optometrists every day are usually about the here and now. Key drivers when we speak to optometrists are that people want better pay, more time with their patients, more schedule flexibility, and more clinical development. None of that feels like asking for too much. They're things most people should expect from a good employer. The problem is that if you've worked in the same environment for years, it's easy to assume that's just how the job is."
technology will play a bigger part.
AI seems to be everywhere at the moment, so it's no surprise to see it feature in the strategy too.
The College of Optometrists is already updating its professional practice guidance to include a dedicated section on AI and emerging technologies for the first time. That's unlikely to mean robots replacing optometrists anytime soon. What it does mean is that practices investing in technology that genuinely supports clinicians and improves patient care are likely to pull ahead.
When you're weighing up a move, it's a reasonable question to ask any prospective employer:
"How are you investing in technology over the next few years?"
And see how that answer impacts your day-to-day.
the shift from hospital to community creates real opportunity.
One of the strategy's clearest ambitions is accelerating the move of eye care from overstretched hospital services into community settings. With hospital eye services under increasing pressure, this isn't a long-term policy goal anymore. It's happening now.
For optometrists, that means the scope of what community practice can offer is genuinely expanding. That includes things like glaucoma monitoring, urgent care pathways and more complex referral management. These are becoming part of community optometry in a way they weren't five years ago.
If you're looking at moving jobs, it's worth finding out which practices are investing in those services. They're often the places where the role is continuing to grow.
so what does that mean for you?
The strategy gives a good picture of where optometry is heading.
The question is whether your current role is heading in the same direction.
If it is, that's brilliant.
If you're not sure, now's probably a good time to ask the question.
That's what we spend our days talking to people about. Not trying to convince someone to change jobs for the sake of it but helping them understand what's out there and whether there's something that suits them better.
If the strategy has got you thinking, we'd love to talk.
