To: Professor Ben Burton, President, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists
Dr Gillian Rudduck, President, The College of Optometrists

Dear Professor Burton and Dr Rudduck,

We, the undersigned ophthalmologists, optometrists, ophthalmic trainees, orthoptists, optical health professionals, and allied eye-care staff, write to express our deep concern about the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and its devastating impact on civilian eye health and the functioning of eye-care services.

As eye-care professionals, we are acutely aware that:

The near-total blockade severely restricts emergency and routine ophthalmic and optometric care.

• Eyewitness and UN–WHO resources report widespread destruction of hospitals, clinics, and ambulances, critical for urgent ophthalmic surgeries, trauma care, and optical services, including intraocular injuries, sight-threatening infections, and the inability to deliver basic vision correction.
• Children and adults experiencing eye trauma or advanced disease (e.g., glaucoma, AMD) are unable to access timely care, placing them at imminent risk of irreversible vision loss or functional blindness.
• The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, together with other Royal Colleges, have publicly urged the UK government to press for a ceasefire, protect medical staff and patients, and ensure aid corridors for essential medical supplies. Notably, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and the  College of Optometrists have not yet issued an equivalent statement or taken a visible stance.

We call on both Colleges to:

• Publicly condemn attacks on civilian eye health, including bombardments blocking ophthalmic and optometric care, as violations of international law and healthcare neutrality.
• Endorse UN Security Council demands (e.g., UNSC Resolution 2728, March 2024) calling for ceasefire, humanitarian access, and civilian protection.
• Express solidarity with Palestinian and international eye-care colleagues. Honor those killed or injured, and commit to reunification efforts with affected staff.
• Partner internationally to support the rapid restoration of ophthalmic and optometric services, supplying equipment, training, and telemedicine or outreach care.
• Mobilise membership: urge local advocacy, raise awareness about vision care needs in Gaza, and support fundraising or donation efforts for eye health missions.
  Host an urgent joint Summit on the crisis: bring together UK and Palestinian ophthalmologists, optometrists, orthoptists, NGOs, and humanitarian experts to co‑design action plans for restoring eye-care services.

This moment calls for moral clarity from our profession. Neutrality, in the face of active destruction of hospitals and health workers, becomes complicity. The voices of both Colleges can powerfully influence global eye health and uphold our shared professional values.

We stand ready to participate, help drafting statements, convening experts, fundraising, and advocating. Silence is not an option: immediate, concrete interventions are essential.

Sincerely,

 [The Undersigned]

 UK Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Trainees, Orthoptists, and Eye Health Professionals