Eye Health: National Strategy

Acknowledged the work done by staff in the eye health department at St Thomas's Hospital, noting that 650,000 people are on waiting lists for eye care services.

Emphasised the importance of the special school eye care service and warned against neglecting children's eye care if the Government ends this service, stressing the financial irresponsibility of the current approach. She thanked the hon. Gentleman for discussing his personal experience and highlighted the importance of ophthalmology treatment within special educational needs and disabilities schools, urging that this should be a priority in any national eye health strategy. Asked the Minister for a timeline on when the outcome of the roundtable on special educational needs ophthalmology in schools will be available, as it is due to end in July but previous promises were made about long-term services.

Sight loss can be devastating and affects work, travel and mental health. There are over 2 million people living with sight loss in the UK, with up to half being avoidable. Over 24,000 patients waited over a year for treatment in 2022. The economic cost of sight loss is around £36 billion. Optometrists play an essential role in supporting good eye health and regular testing can help catch conditions like glaucoma.

He expressed disappointment at having to speak about an issue previously discussed only a year ago. He highlighted the lack of progress despite significant numbers affected by sight loss and macular disease, questioning the Minister's intention to introduce a national eye strategy. He also mentioned his personal experience with macular degradation and the need for more accessible healthcare provision. Children with behavioural problems often have sight issues that affect their ability to learn, similar to those faced by children with special educational needs.

Congratulated the hon. Friend on securing an important debate, highlighting the need for a workforce plan that focuses on training more specialists in eye health.

Ms Huq highlighted the underacknowledged issue of visual impairment in the NHS, citing statistics such as 2 million people living with sight loss today and an expected increase to 4 million by 2050. She pointed out that ophthalmology services are often overlooked despite being a significant part of outpatient care. Ms Huq also discussed issues specific to her constituency, including high levels of diabetes among minority ethnic populations leading to diabetic eye disease. She emphasised the need for better integration between primary and secondary care and support for research into conditions like Charles Bonnet syndrome. Asked for a commitment to proper research on Charles Bonnet syndrome, which is currently recognised as a side-effect of sight loss by the NHS. Corrected previous statements about working together to clear backlogs.

The NHS special school eye care service, which provides sight tests and glasses in the familiar surroundings of special schools, has been praised for improving attendance and reducing stress on the NHS. The service identified that 40% of children in special schools need glasses but face difficulties due to complex needs or behaviour. Since its inception, it was paused for evaluation without publication, causing concern among parents, schools, and eye care providers.