Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increased use of optometrists to provide commissioned eye care services beyond the testing of sight, including post-operative cataract care, acute eye care services and glaucoma detection and monitoring, to increase capacity within hospital eye services.

In the ophthalmology specialism, which includes cataract services, 73.8% of patients were waiting within 18 weeks as of June 2026, with six of seven regions already meeting the March 2027 target of 70%.

Integrated care boards are responsible for deciding whether to commission enhanced eye care services from high street optical practices.