Jeremy Miles, the Minister for Health and Social Care, has urged an improvement in eye care services to meet the growing demand expected in the coming years. This call comes ahead of an anticipated surge in demand due to an ageing population and increasing levels of sight loss.
In a recent summit held, Miles led discussions with key stakeholders, including health board representatives, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, NHS Executive officials, and third-sector organizations. The summit focused on strategies to prevent sight loss, improve access to eye care, and set clear expectations for health boards.
The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) has estimated that nearly one in five people will experience permanent sight loss in their lifetime, with approximately 3.5% of the population in Wales currently affected. This condition significantly impacts daily life, and with the aging population, the demand for eye care services is projected to increase dramatically over the next decade.
The summit addressed several key areas to improve eye care services, including overcoming barriers to service enhancement, integrating primary care optometry services, and reducing long waiting lists. Other areas of focus included regional collaboration on major sub-specialties such as glaucoma, cataracts, and medical retina, as well as advancements in digital transformation and pathway development.
In conjunction with the summit, the NHS Wales Executive released its National Clinical Strategy for Ophthalmology. This new, clinically-led blueprint for ophthalmology services across Wales, commissioned by the Welsh Government, outlines four key components: workforce maximization, clinical networks for equal care, transformation of patient pathways, and a sustainable service delivery model across health board boundaries.
Miles welcomed the strategy, emphasizing the importance of implementing both local and regional plans to address the increasing demand for eye care services. He called for prioritizing patients with high clinical risk and enhancing integration between primary care optometrists and community care teams.
The minister also stressed the importance of improving performance across health boards to ensure equal access to care throughout Wales. He urged collaboration between primary and secondary eye care teams, NHS Executive officials, and third-sector partners to ensure the effective execution of these strategies.
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