How you can support Westminster Eye Health Day
The Eyes Have It is a partnership that includes Fight for Sight / Vision Foundation. In December, the Partnership will host Westminster Eye Health Day and publish a report that supports calls for a National Eye Care Plan in England. Please support us by getting your MP to attend.
We’re supporting calls for a national plan to improve eye care across England and are part of The Eyes Have It, which will report to Parliament in December 2023 for Westminster Eye Health Day.
The Eyes Have It is a partnership of Fight for Sight / Vision Foundation, Roche, Macular Society, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, Association of Optometrists and RNIB. This partnership is hosting Westminster Eye Health Day on Monday, 11 December 2023, from 2.00 p.m. to 4.30 p.m., where MPs will be invited to attend to read the full report.
Delivering an eye care plan is vital because 50% of sight loss is preventable, and 90% of vision loss can be prevented or treated.
However, there is a shortage of ophthalmologists and a nationwide backlog, which means waiting lists are long. A recent Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) census found that only 24% of eye units said they have enough consultants to meet current patient demand.
How long are eye care waiting lists in your area?
The Eyes Have It has published a Polimapper tool that shows the scale of the problem across constituencies, including yours. For example, in Mid Sussex, the percentage of ophthalmology patients waiting over 12 weeks for treatment is 58.7%.
Check how long lists are in your area and write to your MP encouraging them to attend. You can:
Why do we need a National Eye Care Plan?
The quality of life for people with severe sight loss is lower than that of people with depression, arthritis and advanced breast cancer, according to our Time to Focus report. As well as the personal cost, there is a significant economic burden.
The same report, commissioned by Fight for Sight, shows that reducing the prevalence of eye conditions by just one per cent per year could avoid costs to the UK economy of up to £3.1 billion by the end of the decade.
Please get in touch with your MP and let them know about the event. If you do, please tell us by emailing comms@fightforsight.org.uk.