It’s been a period of structural change for Optometry Victoria South Australia (OV/SA), but as Lyn Hsieh writes, the organisation is stronger for it.
There have been many exciting developments unfolding across Victoria and South Australia this year. To start with, OV/ SA’s operational integration with Optometry Australia (OA) has led to improved efficiencies and better utilisation of resources, ultimately providing more value for our members.
In my role as State Lead of Victoria, I aim to ensure that the needs and priorities of Victorian optometrists are heard and addressed. This role builds on my experience practising as an optometrist and my previous work in policy and advocacy at OV/SA.
ADVOCACY
One of our major ongoing advocacy issues is embedding collaborative, innovative models of care in Victoria. Overstretched public health systems are finding it increasingly difficult to manage growing patient demand, and this is exacerbated by geographic distance and other social disadvantages. We’re working to position optometry as a key part of the solution to reduce the burden on public ophthalmology.
As part of this advocacy, we have secured a position for an optometry subject matter expert to review the Primary Health Network’s Ophthalmology HealthPathways. HealthPathways provides guidance to health professionals including general practitioners and pharmacists on assessing and managing patients, as well as comprehensive information about making referrals to services in the local health system. Our representation in the review working group ensures that optometry is appropriately recognised in the referral processes.
These sentiments were echoed in our state Budget submissions made earlier this year. In addition to highlighting the urgent need to address the increasing demand for public eye care services, our submissions focussed on the critical role that optometrists play in addressing the escalating risk of myopia. We were pleased to see the Victorian Government’s response; a commitment to children’s eye health in the 2024–25 Victorian Budget. This included an injection of AU$6.8 million to expand the Glasses for Kids program over the next three years, demonstrating recognition of the importance of identifying eye health problems in a timely fashion.
ADVOCACY UPSKILLING WORKSHOPS
In response to feedback that optometrists were keen to be involved in advocacy, but were unsure of how to get involved, members in Victoria were offered the opportunity to participate in our advocacy upskilling workshops. These sessions reviewed Australia’s system of government and decision-making processes, as well as providing strategies for engaging with local members of parliament and other decision makers. They also provided members with practical tools and skills to develop their own key messages to best advocate for change.
We know not all optometrists want to be active politically but are keen to offer their insights to support advocacy efforts. For this reason, I make it a priority to visit members directly in their practices across Victoria. In these visits, I am keen to better understand the issues that local communities are experiencing, as well as individual issues of a professional nature. This year, I have visited practices in Ballarat, Wangaratta, Wodonga, Mildura, Warragul, and Morwell, while also being in town for our regional series.
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
In-person CPD events are back in full force. This year, we had Alissa Maillet presenting on ‘Getting started in specialty contact lenses and real-world applications’ in our regional series, which has been a great opportunity for members to network and connect with colleagues and learn about industry updates. We will be hosting CPD events in Shepparton and Bendigo next.
Looking ahead, our exciting conference, SRC Mini, is returning to Victoria in November and promises to be a jam-packed day full of high-quality CPD. I look forward to connecting with many of you there.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DESK
A reminder that our Optometry Advisor Help Desk is available as a member-only benefit to support you with all facets of your professional practice. As professional optometrist advisors, Dom Willson, Sophie Koh, and I take pride in providing you with independent and unbiased advice in complete confidentiality and without judgment.
Lyn Hsieh is the State Lead of Victoria, for Optometry Australia.
