Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of adding Minor Eye Care Services to the General Ophthalmic Services contract to ease the pressures on (a) GPs and (b) A&E waiting times.

In England, integrated care boards are responsible for the planning and commissioning of services to meet local needs. This includes decisions on whether to commission locally enhanced services, such as minor eye conditions services, from primary eye care providers. NHS England’s transformation programme is also considering what eye care services can be safely moved out of hospital and into the community to ease ophthalmology pressures.