Press Release issued: 23 May 2012.
Sight loss could potentially double in Scotland over the next two decades despite 50 per cent of sight-threatening conditions being avoidable, warns a leading charity.
A 'Save Our Sight' campaign is being launched today [Wednesday, 23 May] in Westminster by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), aimed at challenging unnecessary sight loss and promoting the importance of timely access to vital treatment.
Around 188,000 Scots are blind or partially sighted. But, alarmingly, this is projected to double by 2031 if no steps are taken to reverse trends. Already up to one in six out-patient appointments at some Scottish hospitals are for eye-care.
Yet the World Health Assembly has estimated that half of all sight loss could be avoided through measures such as public awareness, sight-screening and anti-smoking campaigns. For every 1,000 smokers who quit there would be an estimated 12 fewer cases of blindness.
RNIB's Save Our Sight campaign aims to tackle the issue of avoidable sight loss, to promote the importance of regular eye checks, and to highlight the leading causes of sight loss.
Diabetes rates, for example, have rocketed so much that diabetic retinopathy is now the main cause of sight loss among those of working-age. Poor diet and obesity are seen as major factors in the increase. Around 250,000 Scots are affected by diabetes, and have a 10 to 20 times greater chance of being registered blind if their condition is not well managed.
Scotland's ageing population is another contributory factor, with the number of elderly Scots set to rise by 62 per cent over the next two decades. Age-related macular degeneration is now the single biggest cause of sight loss in those aged over 60. RNIB Scotland is working with the Scottish Government to agree a five-year plan to get to grips with the condition and its effects on sight.
Director John Legg said sight loss cost the public sector in Scotland an estimated total of £194m a year. When the indirect costs of sight loss were added it totals £434m. "The annual cost of sight loss per person, alone, is around £17,600 - roughly equivalent to ten hospital admissions," he said.
"Apart from the tragic personal price to be paid, at a time when our public finances are being so tightly squeezed we need to do everything we possibly can to reduce the numbers who will need treatment.
"That's why we are launching our 'Save Our Sight' campaign today. To get across the message that 50 per cent of sight loss is avoidable, that people should be aware of the risks to their vision from things like diabetes and smoking, and should get their eyes checked every couple of years, especially those who might be more vulnerable to some conditions.
"Maintaining our investment in things such as free eye-tests, which can pick up the early danger signals now, will save us much more money in years to come."
But there are fears that tightening budgets will lead to delays in treatment. Research by RNIB, released today, has found that 57 per cent of Primary Care Trusts in England are restricting access to cataract surgery, leaving thousands at risk of losing sight. Yet cataract surgery is safe and both cost and clinically effective, says the charity, and delaying treatment will only increase waiting lists in the future.