News that Marsha de Cordova’s bill for a national eye health strategy won’t have a second reading in the current parliamentary session is both disappointing and frustrating in equal measures.
The likes of the Association of Optometrists, Thomas Pocklington Trust, and companies such as Specsavers and Roche had supported de Cordova’s bill to the hilt, but by a cruel twist of fate, the second reading stage was cancelled after it was confirmed King Charles would make his speech to Parliament to outline the government’s upcoming legislative plans on November 7.
With Cordova’s bill scheduled for November 24, it was automatically cancelled, and with no automatic carry over to the next parliament session, the bill will have to be resubmitted and possibly heard some time in 2024. Even then, that’s based on the assumption that de Cordova has the time, patience and inclination to resubmit the strategy after what must be an incredibly frustrating process for her.
I hope, for the sake of improving eye care in the UK, that she does resubmit, but nothing is confirmed at present. For the first time in many years, it felt like something really positive was going to happen in the sector as a direct result of government policy changes. As it stands, we’re left wondering ‘what if?’ thanks to outdated government bureaucracy.
While the current government looks to move into general election survival mode by courting voters with inheritance tax and ULEZ policy changes, eye health is unlikely to feature in a manifesto any time soon, but health in general will still receive the public’s attention, just as it did recently when NHS waiting lists reached a record 7.6m people.
So, there is hope. For the sake of eye health, we should all hope that de Cordova’s party is in power in the very near future.