It’s been almost a year since the integration between Optometry Victoria/South Australia and Optometry Australia (OA). As Cassandra Haines writes, the time has passed at warp speed, with important developments for SA.
In an important win for advocacy in South Australia, we were pleased to celebrate enhancements to GlassesSA, a program that provides South Australians with affordable glasses or, for those with certain eye conditions, free contact lenses.
Effective from 1 January 2025, the SA Government will broaden and simplify access to subsidised glasses by extending eligibility to all holders (and their dependents) of the Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, and Low Income Health Care Card. Currently, only those receiving the maximum rate of specific Centrelink or Department of Veterans Affairs payments can benefit from the program. Engagement with members about further changes required to GlassesSA is underway.
Another key advocacy focus has been enhancing childhood vision screening. Currently, there is no statewide screening service checking for crucial childhood conditions such as amblyopia, refractive error, and strabismus. This is despite reports from the Women and Children’s Hospital (WCH) that children are presenting late with conditions such as amblyopia, reducing the treatment success rate, and research from Flinders University suggesting 17% of children in year three at school have a previously undiagnosed eye condition. WCH, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO), Vision 2020 Australia, and OA are continuing to work in this space. The goal is to develop statewide screening programs for children at crucial visual development points, utilising the established referral pathway of community optometry, to allow for accessible and affordable eye care.
Another core priority this year been on better understanding and enhancing collaborative care solutions across the state
Collaborative Care
Another core priority this year has been on better understanding and enhancing collaborative care solutions across the state. Earlier this year we surveyed members to better understand formal and informal collaborative care approaches between optometrists and ophthalmologists being implemented in South Australia. The survey highlighted the breadth of such arrangements in place and the key role they play in enhancing timely patient access to care, including in areas without consistent ophthalmology coverage. The survey supported a deeper understanding of the micro programs occurring across the state, and provided key information to help enhance collaborative care solutions across SA.
In a similar vein, the South Australian Roundtable III: An Eye Health Collaboration was held at the end of August. Building on the progress from previous roundtable discussions, this meeting celebrated the current formalised collaborative care programs occurring in SA. It also provided opportunity to identify and consider distinct challenges faced by each region and health network and to begin exploring potential opportunities to address these and continue the discussions.
Alongside our advocacy work, we have continued high levels of engagement with Flinders University students and welcomed the opportunity to provide face-to-face CPD locally through our regional CPD series and flagship local conference, Blue Sky, attended by over 200 delegates.
Reach Out
We continue to offer one-to-one support to all SA members. Optometrist advisors and human resources (HR) lawyers are available to answer queries about HR workplace rights and obligations, patient management, Medicare, medico-legal or clinical queries, and to review employment contracts. No matter how big or small the query, the member support team takes pride in providing independent and unbiased advice, in complete confidentiality and without judgement.
As State Lead for SA, I remain keen to hear from members about their concerns, achievements, opportunities, and challenges. One thing is clear from the past few months; there is an incredible amount of amazing care being provided by South Australian optometrists with many exciting things ahead.
Cassandra Haines is State Lead for South Australia within Optometry Australia.
