Time for action on glaucoma in England

Time for action on glaucoma in England

Clinicians are being urged to back a parliamentary bill aimed at helping address a looming ‘tsunami of glaucoma’ as World Glaucoma Week (8-14 March) is marked.

Specsavers clinical leaders Paul Morris and Giles Edmonds are urging the entire eye health sector to support the proposed legislation championed by optometrist-turned-MP Shockat Adam.

His proposals would require the introduction of a consistent NHS community glaucoma service – delivered by expert optometrists – in England, where there is currently an NHS postcode lottery facing patients.

‘Something needs to change. It’s time for the government to take action on glaucoma in England,’ says Mr Edmonds, clinical services director at Specsavers. ‘I want to urge everyone in the sector to unite behind Shockat Adam’s bill.’

Paul Morris, director of professional advancement at Specsavers, adds that other parts of the UK have robust NHS plans to address glaucoma-related patient need. ‘In England, there’s a postcode lottery,’ he notes.

‘We clearly are part of the solution, as demonstrated across the UK and in patches of England where it’s making a real difference in suitable cases to monitor and manage glaucoma safely in the community alongside ophthalmology.’

He emphasises that community optometry has the expertise, capability and capacity to address patient need with the number of glaucoma cases forecast to rise in the coming years.

He outlines other ways that optometry can do even more to take on glaucoma, including public education, sector development and NHS integration. Upskilling the workforce is a must, he says, in terms of clinical expertise, connecting, along with coaching and convincing when it comes to patient education and concordance.

Mr Morris further encourages clinicians to engage with Glaucoma UK and signpost patients to its services, underlining the sector’s readiness to play a leading role in combating avoidable sight loss.

Fiona Sandford, chief executive of Visionary, adds: ‘Visionary supports more than 100 local member organisations throughout the UK, working with more than a quarter of a million people with a wide variety of sight conditions and vision loss.

‘Making it easier for these people to access care closer to home and receive timely treatment from qualified experts is imperative if we are to prevent unnecessary sight loss due to glaucoma.

‘Unnecessary and preventable sight loss would be catastrophic for people, and we must work together to improve access to the care they need within local communities to ensure this doesn’t happen.’