What do you want from health and social care?

Care Quality Commission

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is encouraging blind and partially sighted people to tell health and social care regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), about their experiences of healthcare and social services.

Gaps in care

Each year CQC consults the public on future priorities for assessing local health and social services. However, despite systemic failings in support for blind and partially sighted people, the CQC current consultation document reveals it has no plan to review these gaps in care.

RNIB is calling on the CQC to undertake a Special Review of the "care pathway" experienced by blind and partially sighted people, making it a priority in 2010/11. RNIB is also urging blind and partially sighted people and their families to share their experiences with the CQC, to illustrate the scale of the problems they currently encounter and the urgent need for action.

Sight loss overlooked

RNIB Group Director Inclusive Society, Fazilet Hadi says: "Once again the needs of people using eye care and sight loss services have been overlooked. There is a wealth of documented evidence that these services are often inadequate and we hear countless personal accounts of how services have let people down.

"Many of the CQC proposed areas for review are already being given priority by Government strategies, and the CQC should focus on areas, which are receiving insufficient attention. 100 people begin to lose their sight each day and the numbers are set to increase. We need to put good quality integrated services in place to prevent avoidable sight loss and give people who do lose their sight the support they need to live independently.

"A Special CQC Review would be an important step towards changing the current situation. We are asking blind and partially sighted people to join us in calling for a review by telling CQC about their individual experience of health and social services."

2008 review

In 2008, a review of Fair Access to Care by the Commission for Social Care Inspection shared evidence on the marginalisation of blind and partially sighted people, often to the extent they are described as "hidden". In addition, current evidence shows:
• delays and cancellations in appointments for patients with eye conditions, increasing the risk of sight loss
• a lack of formal counselling or even basic information for people at the eye clinic when they are diagnosed with a sight condition
• a lack of support or visits from social services in the year after people are registered as blind or partially sighted
• a lack of healthcare information in formats blind or partially sighted people can read.

RNIB poll

There have been over 10,000 responses to an online RNIB poll asking what support you would expect to get if you lost your sight. Thousands expect to receive high quality information, advice and support, with more than half the responses agreeing that getting the right support should not be left to chance. They believe it should include a range of services, including a visit from a professional to assess individual needs and advice and support for family members.

With the number of blind or partially sighted people expected to increase to four million by 2050, action must be taken now so health and social care services are able to meet the real needs of a growing section of the population.

Information about how people can respond to the CQC consultation, as well as a template letter, can be found on RNIB's website at www.rnib.org.uk/campaigns or by calling 020 7391 2123 or emailing campaign@rnib.org.uk. The consultation is open until 27 April 2010 so take action as soon as possible.

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Further information

For further media information or to arrange an interview please contact Yashoda Sutton, RNIB Media Relations Office, on 020 7391 2223 (out of hours mobile: 07968 482812).

Notes to Editors

Each year CQC undertakes a consultation asking for people's views on future priorities for assessing local health and social services. Full details of this year's consultation can be found at:
www.cqc.org.uk/getinvolved/consultations/assessmentsofquality.cfm

• RNIB's 'Lost and Found' report shows evidence of a widespread lack of information and support that leaves many isolated and depressed, with no idea of where to find help.

• A poll asking "What support would you expect if you were told you were losing your sight?" Is currently running on RNIB's website. Since mid September 2009 over 10,000 people have responded to the poll.

• Every day another 100 people in the UK will start to lose their sight. There are almost two million people in the UK with sight problems. RNIB is the leading charity working in the UK offering practical support, advice and information for anyone with sight difficulties. If you, or someone you know, has a sight problem RNIB can help. Call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit www.rnib.org.uk.

• RNIB supports the UK Vision Strategy, a ground-breaking UK-wide initiative which seeks a major transformation in the UK's eye health, eye care and sight loss services. The strategy was launched in April 2008 in response to a World Health Assembly global resolution to reduce avoidable blindness by the year 2020 and to improve support and services for blind and partially sighted people. To find out more visit: www.vision2020uk.org.uk/ukvisionstrategy.