Parliamentary event highlights glaucoma ‘time bomb’

Event held at Houses of Parliament

A campaigning MP has called for a National Eye Health Strategy at a parliamentary event highlighting the glaucoma ‘time bomb’ facing the country.

Marsha de Cordova, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment, called for action during the parliamentary launch of the State of the UK’s Eye Health 2022 report which focused on a glaucoma time bomb.

The report, produced by Specsavers, highlights the need to draw on the skills of the entire eyecare sector to prevent avoidable sight loss. It includes examples of innovative pathways in which primary care optometrists not only detect eye disease through regular screening but also manage patient care in the community.

“Specsavers has produced an excellent report detailing the State of our Nation’s Eye Health in 2022,” said Ms de Cordova.

“The report makes a series of fantastic recommendations – demonstrating how optometry can play an essential role in addressing the solutions to the current challenges in eye care and proving that capacity for care in the community is there. There needs to be a coordinated approach to tackle the backlog issues and address inconsistent funding models which are driving the postcode lottery of care.”

Announcing her plans to bring forward a bill in parliament on a National Eye Health Strategy for England, she said: “My bill would improve the quality of life for people with sight loss, address health inequalities and link up patient pathways for overall improved health outcomes.

“It would do this through research into future treatments, utilise new technologies and increase the uptake of innovative treatments. I am optimistic that the Bill, if passed, will lead to positive change.”

During the event, she spoke about the social, emotional and economic cost of sight loss. She drew on her personal experience of being diagnosed with nystagmus as a young child and now being registered as severely sight impaired.

Other MPs and peers attended the event – with a number trying out an optical coherence tomographer brought into parliament to underline the importance of getting an eye test and good eye health.

Also at the event were Specsavers founders Doug and Dame Mary Perkins and broadcaster and journalist Dr Michael Mosely who helped launch the report.

Mr Perkins thanked Ms de Cordova for hosting the event, adding that the entire eyecare sector recognised – even before Covid-19 – the need to do things differently to release capacity in ophthalmology.

“The good news is that there is a united view within the eyecare sector,” he said. “The presidents of both the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and the College of Optometrists produced a joint vision statement setting out how primary and secondary care providers can work together to deliver high quality patient care. This is supported by the Association of Optometrists and our colleagues in the voluntary sector.”

Photographed (L-R) are Doug Perkins, Dr Michael Moseley, MP Marsha de Cordova, and Giles Edmonds, Specsavers clinical services director.