Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the use of innovative technologies to treat glaucoma through the 10-Year Plan.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to preventing and managing conditions such as glaucoma in all parts of the country. More tests and scans delivered in the community and better joint working between services will support the management of conditions including glaucoma, closer to home.

The 10-Year Health Plan aims to benefit everyone, and eye health will likely benefit from these reforms. The 10-Year Health Plan ensures that the system and framework are in place to support the delivery for people with glaucoma. The plan has been developed through the extensive engagement we have undertaken with the public, patients, and staff, including with the eye care sector.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will continue to play a crucial role in evaluating new medicines, medical devices, and other technologies to determine their clinical and cost-effectiveness before recommending them for NHS use.