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 develop national guidelines and quality standards for vision rehabilitation services; and if he will commission the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop evidence-based standards in this area.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that develops authoritative, evidence-based guidelines and quality standards for the health and care system on best practice. Topics for the development of NICE guidelines and quality standards are identified by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by the NICE Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework. NICE does not currently have any plans to develop a guideline or quality standard on vision rehabilitation. The NICE prioritisation board considered vision rehabilitation as a potential topic for the development of guidance in August 2024 and concluded that there is insufficient evidence in this area to develop useful guidance.