New Report Calls for a National Eye Care Plan for England to Address Surging Patient Demand

As part of Westminster Eye Health Day, stakeholders and experts from across the eye health sector have launched a new report laying out action required to improve eye care for patients in England. The initiative is led by "The Eyes Have It," a partnership of Macular Society, Fight for Sight/Vision Foundation, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), Association of Optometrists, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, and Roche Products Ltd.

Across the UK, there are over 2.2 million people living with conditions that cause sight loss.[1] There were over 640,000 people waiting to start specialist ophthalmology treatment in England alone as of September 2023, making ophthalmology one of the largest contributors to NHS waiting lists.[1] By 2050, 4 million people in the UK are expected to be living with sight loss, and the costs of sight loss to the UK economy are expected to rise to at least £33.5 billion per year.[2]

According to The Eyes Have It, eye care is the busiest outpatient specialty in the NHS in England,[3] and demand for eye care services is likely to grow as demographic changes mean more people are living with conditions which cause sight loss.[4] 

“I welcome this foundation report which sets out the blueprint to deliver access to eye care for everyone, when and where they need it. Also, for what best practice should look like and the urgent need for the government to commit to my national eye health strategy for England. By taking coordinated action across each of the priority areas outlined in the report, I believe we can make the eye health system fit for purpose,” Marsha de Cordova, MP for Battersea and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Vision Impairment, said in a news release. “I thank the members of The Eyes Have It for their tireless efforts and commitment to improving eye care.”

The new report, "Laying the foundations for the future of eye health in England," highlights key issues facing people affected by sight loss and identifies 14 recommendations for policymakers across critical themes including: data and connectivity; prevention, diagnosis and early treatment; equity of access throughout the patient pathway; challenges faced by the eye care workforce; new technologies and treatment models; investment into research for future treatments and the availability of treatments at large.

Some of the key recommendations from the report include:

• improving IT connectivity and image sharing between primary and secondary care
• ensuring people living with sight-threatening conditions are supported by trained Eye Care Liaison Officers
• greater utilisation and upskilling of the primary eye care workforce to deliver more care outside hospital
• doubling funding for eye care research

Through the report, The Eyes Have It calls upon the Government to develop a national eye care plan for England, and coordinated action across the four nations to ensure that people living with conditions that cause sight loss receive the best care possible.

References

[1] RNIB. Sight Loss Data Tool Version 5.2. 2023. Available from: https://www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/health-social-care-education-professionals/knowledge-and-research-hub/sight-loss-data-tool/ [Accessed December 2023]

[2] NHS England. Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times for Incomplete Pathways. 2023. Available from: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Incomplete-Commissioner-Sep23-XLSX-4256K-77379.xlsx  [Accessed December 2023]

[3] RNIB. Key statistics about sight loss. 2021. Available from: https://media.rnib.org.uk/documents/Key_stats_about_sight_loss_2021.pdf [Accessed December 2023]

[4] NHS England. Hospital Outpatient Activity, 2022-23: All attendances. September 2023. Available from: https://files.digital.nhs.uk/C9/49D3E3/hosp-epis-stat-outp-all-atte-2022-23-tab.xlsx [Accessed December 2023]

[5] RNIB. Key statistics about sight loss. 2021. Available from: https://media.rnib.org.uk/documents/Key_stats_about_sight_loss_2021.pdf [Accessed December 2023]