Labour debates English eye care

Possible barriers to the implementation in England of successfully run Scottish and Welsh eye care schemes will be investigated, health minister Phil Hope has said.

The minister gave the assurance in his response to a question by AOP chief executive Bob Hughes at a fringe meeting at the Labour Party conference in Brighton. The meeting had been arranged to discuss investment in preventive eye health initiatives.

Hope also accepted that in terms of eye health, early intervention and early diagnosis were the next priority areas for the government.

The importance of investment in preventive measures was also highlighted by community optometrist, Ed Bickerstaffe who raised the issue of the link between poor vision and falls within an ageing population.