Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the contribution of primary care optometrists in the detection and treatment of sight loss as a result of glaucoma.

Optometrists and Ophthalmic Medical Practitioners play a vital role in the early detection of glaucoma, which is usually diagnosed through a sight test. Free National Health Service sight tests are available for many, including individuals diagnosed with, or at risk of glaucoma. Patients with suspected glaucoma will be referred for further investigation and any clinically necessary treatment.

Integrated care boards are able to commission out of hospital services from primary eye care providers to meet local needs. This could include undertaking further tests on patients with suspected glaucoma to identify those that require referral into the hospital eye service, and the ongoing monitoring of selected glaucoma patients.