CCEHC makes recommendations for children who have missed out on vision screening due to COVID-19.

CCEHC makes recommendations for children who have missed out on vision screening due to COVID-19.

Recommendations for the Immediate Management of the Child Vision Screening Backlog for 2019/20 and 2020/21 in EnglandShare options

COVID-19 has caused major interruptions in education and child health services. This has meant that Child Vision Screening services have been delayed, postponed or cancelled for some of the children who started Reception Year in 2019 (and possibly some who started in 2020), resulting in a backlog of children who have not been screened.

The primary aim of Child Vision Screening is to identify all children aged 4 to 5 years with impaired sight and enable timely intervention.

The Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning (CCEHC) is aware of a number of issues around restoring and providing these screening services in England.

It recognises that the immediate and current challenge is the timely management of the backlog of children who have missed their screening opportunity at school; and that the priority is to put in place measures for children who commenced Reception year in 2019/20.

As a means for managing this backlog, the CCEHC has made recommendations for alternative, failsafe arrangements for these children to have their vision tested:

CCEHC Recommendations for the Immediate Management of the Child Vision Screening Backlog in England

Template for Letter to Parents

These recommend that parents should be advised to arrange for a NHS sight test with a local optometrist of their choice, if their child entered Reception in 2019 and has not yet been screened at school. The Council is also calling for good liaison between all those involved in Child Vision Screening (i.e. Screening Providers, Local Optical Committee clinical leads, Specialist Eye Service Provider’s Orthoptic / Optometric leads and Screening Service Commissioners) , for planning and implementing these failsafe recommendations and ensuring that eligible children are identified, tested and appropriately managed until routine screening services are restored.

Full details of the recommendations can be found here:

CCEHC Recommendations for Vision Screening backlog 2021

CCEHC child vision screening 2021 -Template letter to parents published here:

Letterhead of Screening Provider

Date — / — / 2021

Dear Parent/Guardian [ of Child’s name ] RE: Child Vision Screening (ages 4 to 5 years)

In many schools children in Reception Year (aged 4-5 years) will have their vision checked through Child Vision Screening. However, Covid-19 has caused major interruptions in education and child health services. This has meant that the vision screening services have been delayed, postponed or cancelled for some of the children who started Reception Year in 2019.
Children often cope very well with some eye problems which need to be identified and treated early to avoid lifelong visual loss. For this reason, it is important that even children with apparently normal vision should be tested. The screening assessment ensures that your child has good vision in both eyes, and that their vision is developing normally. It is performed at this age so that any reduced vision or difference in vision between each eye can be picked up before the visual system is fully developed and any treatment necessary can be started.
If your child falls in any of the groups below then you do not need to do anything. You should ignore this letter if your child –
• Has already had a vision test at school
Or
• Is currently under the care of an Ophthalmologist / Orthoptist / Optometrist at your local Hospital Eye Clinic
Or
• Is currently under the care of a local Optometrist (Optician) or had a recent sight test
If none of the above applies, please arrange with your local optometry practice (optician) for your child to have a free NHS sight test.
Please telephone the practice to book an appointment. You may have to wait a few weeks before an appointment can be offered. You will not have to pay for the sight test.
We recommend your child has this sight test in case she/he has a problem which requires treatment. Young children rarely complain about having reduced vision. If only one eye is affected it is even less likely to be noticed by the child, parents or anyone else. A sight test will identify any problems. The optometrist (optician) will be able to explain the results and any next steps with you during the sight test.

For further information, please visit www.nhs.uk/childrens-eyes

ENDS