Eye care must be central to the NHS 10-year plan: here’s how we make it happen
The placement of this article has been initiated by The Eyes Have It Partnership - a partnership of the Macular Society, Fight for Sight, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), Association of Optometrists, Royal College of Ophthalmologists and Roche Products Ltd. Roche has funded the activities of the partnership
Working collaboratively across the eye care sector, The Eyes Have It Partnership advocate for and champion improvements to patient care and outcomes. Our ambition is for everyone to have access to the right care, where and when they need it
The government’s 10-Year Health Plan sets out a bold and necessary vision for a future NHS – one that is preventative, personalised, and rooted in the community. For the millions living with sight loss in England, this is a pivotal moment to reimagine eye health and care.
As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Vision Impairment, and someone who was bron with nystagmus – an involuntary movement of the eyes causing severe short-sightedness – I understand the profound importance of getting eye health and care right. Poor eye health has a devastating impact on individuals’ wellbeing, while also placing additional pressure on the health and care system, and wider economic productivity.
With over 1.8 million people living with sight loss in England, and specialist eye care waiting lists exceeding 590,000 as of August 2025, the urgency of this conversation cannot be overstated.1,2 Overstretched services, fragmented digital systems, underutilised primary care capacity and workforce shortages remain significant barriers to strengthening the state of eye health in 2025. Improving services and ensuring timely access to care is essential not only for those affected but is also crucial for easing pressure on the NHS and reducing avoidable health impacts.
Sight loss costs the economy an estimated £6bn in lost productivity each year, as people struggle to remain in or return to work.3 At a time when record numbers of people are unable to work due to ill-health, ensuring people with visual impairments can access treatment and services could help prevent avoidable sight loss and enable more to find meaningful work and boost our economy as a whole.
In response, I’ve worked closely with The Eyes Have It partnership to make the case for change, and champion a future where every person with sight loss can access the right care, where and when they need it.
Encouragingly, many solutions already exist and the eye health sector is ready and well positioned to deliver the transformation needed. It boasts a skilled workforce, community-based infrastructure, and a growing pipeline of innovation. The 10-Year Plan’s three strategic shifts – from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention – are all closely aligned with the sector’s priorities, and there are clear, practical ways to deliver each.
The Eyes Have It’s latest policy report, Transforming Eye Care for Tomorrow’s NHS: From Vision to Action, sets out these practical steps, as part of a wider blueprint for reform. From expanding community-based and locally accessible eye care through expert high street optometrists and ophthalmology led diagnostic centres, to better embracing interoperability, digital innovation and new technologies across primary and secondary care, we are on the cusp of transforming how eye care is delivered across the NHS.
With the right investment, leadership, and coordination, eye care can become a cornerstone of a modern, person-centred NHS. That’s why I am proud and excited to be supporting the fifth annual Westminster Eye Health Day, taking place on Monday 1st December, from 7-9pm in the Thames Pavilion.
The event, which is being held in partnership with The Eyes Have It and funded by Roche Products Ltd, will launch the new policy report, and provide an opportunity to bring together parliamentarians and the eye care community at a vital time.
It would be wonderful to welcome as many of my colleagues as possible on the day as together, we can truly make a difference.
To find out more about The Eyes Have It and its work, visit www.eyeshaveit.co.uk
References
1. RNIB; Sight Loss Data Tool. v5.3. Available: https://www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/research-and-data/sight-loss-data-tool/ (Accessed November 2025)
2. NHS England; Consultant-led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times Data 2025-26. August 2025. Available: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2025-26/. (Accessed November 2025)
3. Fight for Sight; Time to Focus. Available https://www.fightforsight.org.uk/media/voaj1bxm/time-to-focus-report.pdf. (Accessed November 2025)
Date of preparation: November 2025 Job code: M-GB-00024933
