Six simple solutions which could create NHS savings of over £1bn over the next decade – as well as saving people’s vision – have been identified by the UK’s leading sight loss organisation

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has outlined a series of costed, practical steps that could revolutionise beleaguered eye care services in England - creating efficiencies and preventing avoidable sight loss as people wait for treatment. The charity’s report shows that simply offering NHS emails to primary care staff could save up to £20m each year alone.

With the unveiling of the Government’s new 10 Year Health plan for England imminent, the charity is hoping the NHS will home in on eye health as a priority – especially as these steps could stem unnecessary referrals, cut waiting times and ensure better support for anyone undergoing a potentially devasting sight loss diagnosis.

Demand for eye care services - the largest outpatient speciality in England – is increasing. RNIB’s report, which includes analysis provided by PA Consulting, offers properly costed clues as to how they could be delivered in as effective a way as possible and prevent delays to treatment, which can result in worsening sight loss.

The proposals could make significant differences to the overall costs and capacity of eye care services, and to the lives of people with sight conditions, with every recommendation grounded in proven best practice already working successfully in parts of the UK.

The six proposals for change in the report are:

1. Improve connectivity by ensuring all primary eye care providers have an NHS e-mail address

- Which would have an expected annual £20m saving to the NHS in England

2. Ensure all primary eye care providers have access to advice and guidance from secondary care to reduce unnecessary referrals

3. Streamline referrals by creating single points of access (SPoA)

- creating an expected annual £55m - £171m saving to the NHS in England

4. Embed the Eye Care Support Pathway within clinical pathways

- Driving an expected annual £3.99m saving to the NHS in England

5. Fully use the skillset of optometrists in primary care

- Expected annual savings could be as much as £77.2m to the NHS in England

6. Incorporate an increased focus on tackling (Do Not Attends (DNAs) into planning guidance and the Elective Recovery programme

- Potential annual savings could be as much as £80.7m to the NHS in England, depending on the chosen approach to address DNAs

Some of the outcomes of the implementation will include: 

• Improved patient outcomes: Faster diagnosis, reduced clinical risk, more personalised support.
• Reduced pressure on hospitals and GPs: Fewer unnecessary referrals and wasted appointments.
• Significant financial efficiencies: Up to £1 billion of potential savings over the next decade.
• A more sustainable NHS in England: Fewer missed opportunities and reduced risk of harm.

Matt Stringer, RNIB CEO said: 

“We know that eye health has one of the biggest waiting lists of any speciality in England, with 586,079 people, nearly eight per cent of the total NHS waiting list, waiting this spring for what could be life changing treatment. Our report is aimed at supporting the NHS costed proposals that would at once alleviate cost and pressures in the system – and put patients first.

“We believe these simple solutions would help the NHS to tackle financial and operational pressures – and, at a very human level, reduce the substantial number of people being referred to hospital with a concern they have a serious eye condition when a local optician could rule this out instead. We hear from people how distressing this is, which is why we as RNIB are also keen to embed our support all along the patient pathway.

“Technology is already being used in the health system with virtual wards, image analysis and remote consultations. The solutions we are advocating for are tried and tested, and in many cases – like email addresses – seemingly incredibly simple for the positive effect they could have.

“These proposals represent practical changes that can be implemented relatively quickly and simply. Doing this now would make a positive impact on patients’ eye health. Some will be more straightforward to implement, but action needs to be taken now.

“RNIB is urging the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and each Integrated Care Board to adopt these interventions as part of a roadmap to make eye health fit for the future.”

Notes to editors 

To read RNIB’s Value of Vision report, please see here : https://www.rnib.org.uk/professionals/research-and-data/reports-and-insight/the-value-of-vision-six-interventions-to-improve-eye-care/

In line with the anticipated priorities of the NHS 10 Year Plan, RNIB’s solutions propose moving more care from hospitals to the community, stopping unnecessary referrals, embracing digital transformation and shifting from treatment to prevention.

The six interventions to improve Eye Care:

1. All primary eye care providers should have an NHS email address

2. Advice and guidance from secondary care

3. Creating single points of access (SPoA)

4. Embed the eye care support pathway

5. Fully use the skillset of optometrists in primary care

6. Increased focus on tackling DNAs (Do Not Attend)

All media enquiries to RNIB’s PR team on [email protected] or for urgent enquiries out-of-hours, please call 07968 482812.

About RNIB 

We are the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

Every six minutes, someone in the UK begins to lose their sight. RNIB is taking a stand against exclusion, inequality and isolation to create a world without barriers where people with sight loss can lead full lives. A different world where society values blind and partially sighted people not for the disabilities they’ve overcome, but for the people they are.

RNIB. See differently.