Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of the NHS Special Schools Eye Care Service on local hospital paediatric ophthalmology services.

NHS England has commissioned an independent evaluation of their proof-of-concept pilot programme, which has been providing in-school sight testing for children and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism in special schools.

Views are being sought from a range of stakeholders on the benefits of the Special Schools Eye Care Service. Views to date, include the impact of the pilot on paediatric ophthalmology services, which will be taken into account in the evaluation.

Official data, including information on previous eye care provided and the number of first sight tests provided under the pilot, is not presently finalised but will be considered as part of the evaluation.