Data from a pilot study conducted by SeeAbility and the Local Optical Committee Support Unit (LOCSU) has revealed that over half the people with learning disabilities seen in specialist sight tests suffered an eye health issue.
Almost two-thirds required spectacles and 52 per cent of those seen had an eye health problem which could have led to sight loss, said the authors of the London Tri-Borough study. The report looked at the LOCSU eye care pathway of 104 specially adapted sight tests carried out in the of Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham and Westminster between October 2013 and March 2015.
In light of the findings, the organisations have called on clinical commissioning groups to introduce more eye care pathways to avoid reduced independence, poorer quality of life and higher health and social care costs for these individuals.
‘People with learning disabilities are 10 times more likely to have serious sight problems than other people,’ said Katrina Venerus, managing director of LOCSU.
‘The London Tri-Borough pilot identified a high prevalence of treatable eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and keratoconus.’
LOCSU said that if these conditions remained unidentified and untreated, they would worsen and lead to higher health and social care costs.
‘SeeAbility is aware that the standard sight test is not always accessible for people who have learning disabilities,’ added chief executive David Scott-Ralphs.
‘Many people need the optometrist to allow them more time in order to establish their needs, to explain testing procedures and to communicate results in a clear and accessible manner.’
Just under a third of all people were referred on to their GP or hospital eye service for an eye health or other health issue and 63 per cent of individuals were wearing prescribed glasses following their sight test.