A collaboration between the New Zealand Association of Optometrists (NZAO) and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) is actively driving solutions to improve accessibility and reduce eyecare disparities, reported representatives from both groups in a joint statement.

Drs Justin Mora and Liz Insull and optometrists Hadyn Treanor, Renata Watene and Inhae Park said the organisations began formal discussions in October 2023 following the release of RANZCO’s strategic roadmap, Te Kitenga Vision 2030. The talks led to a shared vision for improving eyecare delivery nationwide from better post-operative cataract pathways to increased Māori and Pacific representation in eye health professions, they said.

Among the topics discussed was the enabling of optometrists to directly refer patients to cataract surgery waitlists; subsidising glasses for children with amblyopia; increasing the number of optometrists in public hospitals to support expanded scopes of practice and collaborative care; public funding for community-based eye clinics; biennial eye checks for older New Zealanders; targeted keratoconus screening for at-risk youth; and more.

Established as a result of the evaluation of vulnerable services during Covid, the Eye Health National Clinical Network has provided a great opportunity for those on the frontline of eye health to provide governance over equity-related initiatives and drive forward some of these ideas, said the group. “The network was established to improve access to eye healthcare for all New Zealanders and standardise excellent health outcomes. Members of the group include a range of eye healthcare professionals and representatives from ophthalmology, optometry, orthoptics, nursing, academia and Kāpō Māori Aotearoa.”

The network has three workstreams: child, teenage and adult. “These include nationally agreed access criteria for care in ophthalmology departments, national standing orders, standardised sustainable packs for intravitreal injections and cataract surgery and a plan for a national CPAC score to remove the ‘postcode lottery’.”

Progress to date includes a planned rollout of the world’s first national ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) screening programme, with 23 new cameras being installed across neonatal intensive care units, paired with image-sharing software to improve care for babies and, eventually, people with diabetes, glaucoma and AMD. RANZCO is also sponsoring a collaborative care workshop in July to support optometry-led cataract follow-up care in the community with the hope that a strong enough case can be built to gain national funding.

Other initiatives include:

• A stocktake of orthoptic and paediatric optometry expertise and a review of the Enable criteria
• Work to achieve a targeted national keratoconus screening programme
• Improved data sharing and robust communication among eye health professionals via a new national digital roadmap
• Plans by Eye Health Aotearoa to run a public awareness campaign in 2026 to encourage all people to get eye health checks.

The joint team also reported improved collaboration between diabetes and eye health networks on diabetic retinopathy screening. “While a national database may be some time away, all the existing programmes are being documented with a long-term view to integrating them into a national programme.”

Despite tight funding, the NZAO and RANZCO team said they are making headway. “While change takes time, our ongoing collaboration, advocacy and innovation will drive progress towards equitable, high-quality eyecare for all New Zealanders.”