A coalition of eye care groups committed to raising awareness of sight loss has been backed by the Association of Optometrists (AOP) and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth).
The Eyes Have It partnership raises awareness of the importance of eye health and calls on the government and NHS to improve the lives of people living with deteriorating eye conditions.
Representatives told Optician: ‘The addition of RCOphth and AOP to the coalition will bring together ophthalmology HCPs [health care professionals] and patients to campaign for change. This is an unusual dynamic, which will strengthen the group and, especially in the case of AOP, bring primary and secondary care together.’
The campaign was created in July, 2021 by Fight For Sight and the Macular Society with pharmaceutical company Roche Products.
It aimed to raise awareness of the importance of eye health and issues, such as delayed referrals, service capacity, a shortage of clinical specialists, and the emotional impact of delays to treatment as well as the burden of treatment for patients with sight loss.
A report published by sight loss charity Fight For Sight in 2020, found that more than two million people in the UK live with sight loss, which cost the UK economy £23.5bn a year.
Professor Bernie Chang, president at the RCOphth, noted that Fight for Sight’s report predicted that the number of people living with sight loss would reach four million by 2050.
‘We have been impressed by the work carried out by The Eyes Have It partnership in raising political awareness of issues relating to sight loss and eye care, and we want to further bolster that work.
‘To support better, more timely treatment for those living with sight loss, it is vital that we have proper investment in the eye care workforce and infrastructure across the whole patient pathway,’ Chang said.
Carolyn Ruston, director of policy at the AOP, added: ‘It is an honour to join The Eyes Have It partnership to raise the profile of eye health across the board. We are excited to be part of a group that is prioritising the importance of good eye health and timely treatment for those who need it.’
Raising the profile
A series of recommendations were created by the coalition to help improve the lives of people living with deteriorating eye health, including the appointment of a national clinical director for eye care, the development of a national strategy for eye care to alleviate pressure on hospital eye services, and guidance to enable direct referral from community optometry to secondary care.
Fight for Sight’s chief executive, Keith Valentine, called on the government to double investment in eye research. He highlighted the most recent available data from 2018, which found public bodies invested £9.60 in eye research for each person living with sight loss.
‘Sight loss is one of the biggest health challenges we face as a country. To stop sight loss caused by eye conditions and diseases we need to work together to raise awareness, fund research to find new treatments and address issues faced by patients trying to access treatment,’ Valentine said.
A director of eye health
Events at Westminster have called on the government to take more action and address capacity issues in the NHS and improve access for patients, including a Westminster Hall debate hosted by MP Jim Shannon in January, 2022. Westminster Eye Health Day in October, 2021, was attended by 50 MPs and will happen in November this year.
In June, a roundtable event will take place outlining a joint policy document developed by the coalition that included policy recommendations, which included: establishing leadership and accountability to transform eye care services, prioritising eye health within NHS service recovery and transformation and investing in data and digital transformation, the ophthalmology workforce and future research.
The coalition told Optician the roundtable would provide an opportunity to discuss recommendations and agree priorities for the national clinical director for eye health, who will be appointed imminently.
Thom Renwick, ophthalmology lead at Roche Products, said: ‘Severe sight loss can have a huge impact on people’s quality of life, yet many people are either unaware of the severity of their condition or are unable to access the treatment they need due to capacity issues in the NHS. The Eyes Have It aims to highlight some of these problems and work closely with policymakers to effect change.’
The coalition highlighted a survey of 1,516 adults in the UK conducted in August, 2021 that found 80% of respondents felt their sight was more important than other senses. However, only 15% ranked having regular optical appointments more important than medical or dental checks.
Cathy Yelf, chief executive at the Macular Society, said: ‘This survey highlights how important our work is in raising awareness of sight loss and the importance of good eye health, not just among parliamentarians and policymakers, but among the wider public too. If patients with macular disease are not treated quickly enough their sight can deteriorate rapidly, which can have a devastating impact on their lives.’