Influencing your local health - JSNAs

One of the aims of our eye-pod tour is to help influence the information that is held within an area's joint strategic needs assessment (JSNA).

The number of people living with sight loss is due to double to four million by 2050, which costs the UK economy an estimated £7.9 billion, and rising, each year. Over 50 per cent of sight loss is avoidable, yet many local areas are still failing to take eye health and sight loss prevention seriously - and don't even mention it in the health plans for their local area. Is your local authority taking sight loss seriously?

Write to your councillors today!

What is a JSNA?

Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs) are important because they analyse the health needs of populations to inform and guide the planning and delivery of health, wellbeing and social care services within local areas. The JSNA underpins the local health and wellbeing strategy - the overarching plan which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the local community, so it's really important that every JSNA refers to eye health and sight loss prevention.

Information for commissioners

We've joined up with partners from the sight loss sector to help local decision-makers plan and deliver eye health services, including creating a template for producing a JSNA. You can find the template on the UK Vision Strategy webpages.

Take action

Write to your Councillors!

Ask your councillors what they are doing to ensure that blind and partially sighted people receive the support need and to ensure that people do not lose their sight unnecessarily.

Last updated: 4 December 2012

Make a donation

Right now we can only reach one in three of the people who need our help most.

Please make a donation and help us support more blind and partially sighted people.

The Eye Pod tour

We're taking our futuristic Eye Pod sight loss simulator across the country. We want to highlight the importance of regular eye tests and make eye health a priority in your area.