Eye Care 10-year Health Plan 2025-05-06
2025-05-06
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Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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De Cordova highlighted a capacity crisis in NHS ophthalmology, with waiting lists leading to unnecessary loss of sight for many patients. She emphasized the need for a joined-up healthcare plan.
We know that there is a capacity crisis within eye healthcare. NHS ophthalmology continues to be the busiest and largest outpatient service, resulting in many people not getting seen soon enough, which leads to many losing their sight unnecessarily. What we need is a joined-up healthcare plan. Will the Minister ensure that eye healthcare will be part of the Government’s wider 10-year health plan?
My hon. Friend is right that early intervention is crucial, and the interface between the high street and secondary care is a vital part of that. That means having a joined-up eye health strategy. The 10-year plan will have that joined-up strategy at its heart.
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Q2
Partial Answer
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Cleverly noted that £15.5 million was allocated to auto-contouring with artificial intelligence under the Conservative Government, which has been cut by the current government.
Another part of the 10-year health plan is the use of digital technology. Auto-contouring with artificial intelligence reduces waiting times and frees up capacity for radiotherapists. £15.5 million was allocated to it under the Conservative Government; money that has been cut under the Minister’s Government. Why?
I think that the right hon. Gentleman is referring to the single point of access digital technology, which is game changing in terms of improving the interface between high street and secondary care. It is probably worth reminding him that the question is about eye care. We are absolutely committed to single point of access technology, which we believe can be game-changing technology and is a vital part of our shift from analogue to digital.
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Assessment & feedback
Specific reason for cutting funding not provided.
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Q3
Direct Answer
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Prinsley cited the president of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists who warned that outsourcing NHS cataract surgery to private providers risks the integrity of hospital eye surgery departments.
The president of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists has stated that the widespread outsourcing of NHS cataract surgery to private, for-profit providers risks the integrity of hospital eye surgery departments meaning that there will be few services to treat patients with preventable blindness. How can we reassure the public that such services will be maintained?
Although the independent sector clearly has an important role to play in tackling waiting lists and backlogs, we will not tolerate any overpriced or sub-par care, and we will not tolerate any distortion of patient choice. The recently published partnership agreement between NHS England and the Independent Healthcare Provider Network commits to ending incentives that can lead to that, and to supporting equal access and genuine choice for all patients.
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Q4
Partial Answer
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Brown-Fuller pointed out that NHS Sussex ICB is one of only five in England not to commission a minor eye conditions service, leading to delays for patients needing urgent or minor eye care.
NHS Sussex ICB is one of only five in England not to commission a minor eye conditions service—known as MECS—in community optometry settings. That means that patients in Chichester with urgent or minor eye issues have to either join the 8 am queue for a GP appointment or go to their hospital rather than being seen quickly on the high street. Given that 99.9% of MECS patients elsewhere in England are seen within 24 hours, will the Minister set out what action he is taking to ensure that those services are commissioned consistently across all ICBs within the 10-year health plan?
ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of these services, which are clearly extremely important, and the early intervention side of eye care is particularly important. I would be more than happy to look into that issue with the hon. Lady’s ICB if she wrote to me and made further representations.
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Specific measures not detailed.
Offering Further Communication
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