RNIB's Lost and Found campaign found that hundreds of people lose their sight each week but are effectively left to "rattle along on their own".
In early 2010 we had a crucial opportunity to help bring this injustice to the attention of England's independent regulator of health and social care, the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Campaigners have their say
Campaign supporters wrote to the CQC to ask for an urgent review into the support and services available to people who lose their sight. If a review is secured it will ensure that the lack of support is addressed as a matter of priority.
Blind and partially sighted people informed the Commission that services are far too often in short supply...
"I've never been given any advice, emotional support or guidance regarding how to cope with the inability to see. Contact with the local Visual Impairment Team has provided me with a white stick and a few lessons on how to get about with it. Is this the best or all that is available?"
Some areas in the country provide high-quality support to local people who have lost their sight but provision is patchy. Campaigners told the Commission that when they lost their sight they had felt abandoned...
"When I started losing my sight I was left to muddle through life as best as I could…I believe that if I had been given more help at this crucial stage in my life, I would have adjusted to becoming visually impaired much quicker".
What happens now?
The Care Quality Commission's aim is to make sure better care is provided for everyone and to be a champion for joined up care across services. Each year they undertake a consultation asking for people's views on future priorities for assessing local health and social services. Following the response it received to its consultation from blind and partially sighted people, the Care Quality Commission has said it will now engage with RNIB and examine the case for the type of review we have been calling for. The Commission said it would publish its final plans in late 2010, but disappointingly it does not appear to have any plans to review the care available to blind and partially sighted people.
We're looking at different avenues to take our message forward. As part of the new NHS arrangements we will be looking to influence local health and care priorities.
Further information
You can take further action or read more or on RNIB's Lost and Found campaign at our Lost and Found webpage.
If you would like further information contact the campaigns hotline by emailing campaign@rnib.org.uk or call 020 7391 2123.