18.06.14
Eye care service access limited for adults with learning disabilities - LOCSU
A high proportion of adults suffering with severe learning difficulties are being failed by the NHS by not having access to potentially life-transforming sight tests, the Local Optical Committee Support Unit (LOCSU) has claimed.
LOCSU along with charity SeeAbility has stated that up to 985,000 of England’s 1,012,000 learning disabled adults cannot access tailored eye tests.
Katrina Venerus, of LOCSU, said: “Serious sight problems are 10 times more common among people with learning disabilities and have a disproportionate impact on the quality of life they can lead. This is a real but avoidable issue.
“People with learning disabilities need longer appointments but high-street opticians in most parts of the country are simply not supported by their local commissioners to deliver them.
The two organisations are calling on Clinical Commissioning Groups across England to commission more high-street opticians to offer accessible eye care services for everyone who needs them. They warn that all of the community eye care services that have been commissioned for people with learning disabilities are located in London, leaving learning disabled adults elsewhere in England without accessible sight tests.
According to the Projecting Adult Needs and Service Information database, there are 1,011,605 adults with learning disabilities in England. Of these, 26,946 are estimated to live in areas with eye health services designed for their needs. All of these services, however, are in London: in Sutton and Merton; Barking and Dagenham; Bexley; Kensington and Chelsea; and Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham.
David Scott-Ralphs, chief executive of SeeAbility, said: “Lack of access to regular eye care puts people with learning disabilities at risk of unnecessary sight loss. This has significant consequences.
“Someone who is losing their sight yet unable to communicate what is happening can become confused, frustrated or angry. They can lose their confidence, stop going out or give up on activities that they have enjoyed as their sight diminishes. As a result a person can need increasing care and support. This is all avoidable.”
NHE has contacted NHS England about this issue. However, at the time of publication a reply had not been received.
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