Poor eye health holding back London's economy

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.