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 ensure that people who have experienced sight loss as a result of covid-19 receive adequate treatment.

We are not aware of any scientific evidence linking COVID-19 with sight loss and it is not one of the symptoms or complications recognised by Public Health England.

On 31 July, further guidance was issued to local National Health Service providers and commissioners on outlining the next phase of the NHS response to COVID-19 and concurrent non-COVID-19 activity, including optical services. The guidance can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/07/Phase-3-letter-July-31-2020.pdf