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Eye care costs

Eye care costs

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New research from Healthwatch England reveals costs of additional eye care services are likely to deter some people from visiting opticians altogether.

An estimated 50% of sight loss is avoidable. That’s why it’s vital that people can have their eyesight tested regularly and get the help they need if there is a problem. Yet new research from Healthwatch England found that costs associated with visiting opticians are deterring those on the lowest incomes from getting regular eye tests.

An online survey was carried out asking about people’s eye care experiences between July and September 2024. 14% of people who responded to the survey had avoided eye care due to cost in the last two years.

People who described themselves as ‘not at all comfortable financially’ were much more likely to say they avoided going to opticians than those who were financially very comfortable (39% vs 3%). Lack of awareness of the financial support available may also contribute to the high rate of people avoiding eye care.

Additional costs may put off patients

As people face rising eye care costs and lack of financial support, many high street opticians, which are private businesses, increasingly rely on generating income through offering services in addition to eye tests.

The survey found that of those who had attended an eye test in the last two years, 72% had experienced staff offering additional services at a cost. This practice has made some people reluctant to visit optician services at all. Those who said that opticians had offered them additional paid services were twice as likely to say they had avoided getting eye care in the last two years compared to those who had not experienced this.

84% of the respondents to the survey were eligible for free eye tests. However, as the results of the survey show, many people eligible for financial support for their eye care may find it difficult to afford additional costs. They may put off getting eye care because they are concerned about being pushed into paying for products or services they can’t afford.

Healthwatch England set out the following steps to protect people from the rising impact of eye care costs:

  • The Department of Health and Social Care should review support for the costs of NHS eye care for those on the lowest incomes.
  • The Government and the NHS should consider a targeted communications campaign through direct channels to low-income eye care patients.
  • The primary eye care sector should have clear guidelines for how staff should assist those on lower incomes without affecting their confidence in seeking care.

If you would like to tell us about your experiences of accessing eye care, please get in touch.

Eye care waiting times

Eye care waiting times

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New research from Healthwatch England has revealed people’s eye health often deteriorates while they wait a long time for specialist eye care.

They are calling for greater use of high street optician services, including optometrists working in optician services, to help cut waiting times.

Responses from 1,051 people currently waiting for specialist eye care appointments suggest that the vast majority (85%) of people support the idea of optometrists being able to refer patients without seeing a GP first. Over 65% are comfortable with them helping to monitor and treat eye conditions.

An optometrist’s role is to detect defects in vision, signs of injury, ocular diseases or other abnormalities. Optometrists often work alongside other professionals in primary eye care, supporting people with a range of eye problems and referring people for specialist care.

Expanding their role and responsibilities, such as being able to treat patients for a greater range of conditions, would help more people with the most serious eye conditions to be identified and referred for specialist care earlier.

The survey, which asked people to share their experiences of eye care between July and September 2024, found many people struggled while waiting for specialist care:

  • Of those currently waiting, 70% said they noticed some deterioration in vision.
  • People currently waiting for eye care reported that long waits affect their ability to continue their hobbies, 75%; mental health, 69%; ability to work, 52%; and relationships, 36%.
  • The most common type of support people reported needing was ‘knowing who to contact for further information’ about their care. However, only 14% of people said they knew who to contact.
  • Only 4% said they had been given advice and information to help them with day-to-day activities, such as working.

Eye care is the busiest outpatient speciality in the NHS in England, and with an ageing population, demand is set to grow further. According to NHS statistics, last December nearly 600,000 people were waiting for specialist eye care, a third of whom had been waiting more than the 18-week target set by the Government.

And getting referred for specialist eye care may be a long process for some. Of those currently waiting, almost a quarter (22%) had to have multiple appointments before being referred.

Healthwatch England calls for optician services to take on more responsibility for managing people’s eye care and referring them for specialist treatment to help cut waiting times. Additionally, actions such as those proposed in the Optometry First model are needed to improve communications and support for people waiting for eye care.

Read the full report at the Healthwatch England website

If you would like to tell us about your experiences of eye care services please get in touch.

Have your say on eye care services

Have your say on eye care services

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Have your say on eye care services

We would like to know if you are getting the eye care you need.

Healthy vision is something many of us take for granted – until there is a problem. An estimated 50% of sight loss is avoidable. That is why people need access to regular eye tests and, if there is a problem, get the help they need.

Tell us about your experiences and help improve eye care services for everyone.

This survey is now closed

Eye care pathways Northumberland

Eye care pathways Northumberland

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Eye care pathways in Northumberland – do they really work and how could they be improved?

In Northumberland, as across England as a whole, growing numbers of people are living with sight loss or impairment. This is likely to increase further as people live longer since a good deal of vision impairment is related to the ageing process. The estimated number of people living with sight loss in Northumberland is 13,500 (4% of the county’s population) which is higher than the national average and this is estimated to rise to 5% of the county’s population by 2032.

Consequently, vision rehabilitation services are considered key to prevention, supporting independence, and reducing demand for health and social care services.

The total estimated indirect cost of sight loss in Northumberland is over £32million. In 2020-2021 people in Northumberland living with sight loss and a wider audience told Vision Northumberland that some people in the county experience unfair barriers to accessing registration and low vision/rehabilitation services, that the eye care pathway in Northumberland was flawed, and that people did not know what services were available to them.

People stressed the importance of:

  • Support close to home rather than travelling to Newcastle
  • Support that focuses on the health and wellbeing impacts of sight loss such as depression, social isolation and loneliness
  • Good support from officers such as Eye Clinic Liaison Officers, low vision specialists and rehabilitation officers
  • Joined up working and effective signposting between services
  • Developing the necessary skills to live with sight loss and maintain independence
  • Access to comprehensive assessments that balance different aspects of a person’s life
  • Health and social care professionals who are compassionate, understand the challenges of sight loss, and have knowledge of visual rehabilitation services and support
  • Accessible information and advice especially in GP services

This report, funded by Healthwatch Northumberland, follows up on that work asking the key questions:

What challenges do people with sight loss in Northumberland experience when accessing registration and low vision/rehabilitation services as outlined in the Care Act 2014?
Does the eye care pathway really work in Northumberland and how could it be improved?

Read the eye care pathways in Northumberland report