Better eye health could boost London’s economic output by improving employment chances for people with sight loss and reducing care costs, the London Assembly’s health committee has said in a new report on the capital’s eye health for London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
The report estimated that sight loss costs the London economy nearly £6.5bn, or £750 per Londoner every year.
Data within the report from The Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) predicted that an additional 194,000 Londoners would be living with sight-threatening eye conditions by 2030, with a further 74,000 expected to be living with sight loss.
The committee called on the Mayor to challenge London’s health and care leaders to integrate eye health into their plans more effectively and support the development and implementation of a dedicated London Eye Health Strategy.
Among those consulted by the health committee were Moorfields Eye Hospital, The RNIB, the Thomas Pocklington Trust, the London Eye Health Network and Vision UK, along with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and the College of Optometrists.
‘The College is proud to have been involved in the development of the Eye Health report, entitled Eye health – preventing sight loss in London, published by the London Assembly’s Health Committee,’ said Jo Mullin, director of policy and strategy at the College of Optometrists.
‘We fully support the recommendations of the report and intend to follow up with London’s Mayor to ensure action is taken to improve the eye health of Londoners.’
