News release issued by The College of Optometrists
Eye disease is a major contributor to national health service backlogs, and the number of cases is set to significantly increase with an ageing population. The College has collaborated with organisations from across the UK’s eye care sector, led by The College of Optometrists, to launch the new UK Eye Care Data Hub to support health care commissioners and providers plan and design future eye care services.
The new data tool forecasts the number of people expected to have a wide range of eye diseases and conditions and models the future eye care workforce, by UK nation and region, over the next 15 years.
The number of people with late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is predicted to increase by 24.4%, primary open-angle glaucoma by 15.9%, and vision impairing cataracts by 16.7% across the UK over the next 10 years. The tool models over 40 eye conditions and more will be added in future updates to provide a comprehensive view of eye disease and conditions across the UK.
A critical eye care workforce planning tool
The UK Eye Care Data Hub allows users to calculate the future eye care workforce, spanning both primary and secondary eye care services. This vital insight will support eye care and service planners across the UK to understand how the workforce will change over time.
While the number of optometrists is forecast to increase by 38.2%, orthoptists by 50% and consultant ophthalmologists by 71.2% over the next 10 years, there is also projected to be a decrease in dispensing opticians (-11.7%) and nurses specialising in eye care (-33.3%).
Current hospital capacity is already failing eye care patients, with long waits across the UK and tens of thousands of patients waiting over a year for treatment, putting them at risk of irreversible sight loss. Even with a predicted increase in some areas of the eye care workforce, experts are worried that hospital capacity will not meet the level of demand forecast by the increase in prevalence of eye conditions and eye disease. This is why professional bodies representing the eye care workforce are calling for both greater investment in training and a recognition that services should be remodelled to make best use of the eye care expertise available in and out of hospitals.
The new open-access online tool has been designed to support all health systems across the UK, optimise the existing eye care workforce, address health inequalities, and identify priorities for future eye care workforce education, training and development to support new models of care.
For eye care sector employers, the tool will enable them to make decisions about recruitment planning and investment in higher qualifications and training, informed by forecast future demand and trends in eye disease prevalence.
Professor Stephen Kaye, the College’s Vice President, said: “A lot more work is needed before we can provide useful and applicable data. We are, however, at the start of providing granular data on the prevalence and incidence of over 250 eye conditions, and importantly deciding on the composition of the optimum work force needed to better treat people with eye disease. This information can be found here and is continually updated as new information becomes available. Providing commissioners and eye sector employers with the information on the required eye workforce composition is critical to meeting the demand for eye care.”
Dr Gillian Rudduck MCOptom, President of The College of Optometrists, commented: “With the launch of the UK Eye Care Data Hub, eye care commissioners and service planners across the UK will have access to critical data and insights to support them to plan services that meet the evolving needs of their local area more effectively. This will help ensure patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time, as well as reducing hospital waiting lists for the most urgent and complex cases.
“We believe that by commissioning more eye care services in primary care, health commissioners can provide more timely access to effective eye care for an ageing population and ultimately help prevent avoidable sight loss.”
UK-wide cross-sector and multi-professional collaboration
The College has collaborated with The College of Optometrists, who led the project, and the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO), the British & Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS), the Department of Health Northern Ireland, and the Federation of Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians (FODO).
The tool was developed by York Health Economics Consortium (YHEC) at the University of York. Eye disease prevalence and incidence data was compiled by 16 expert working groups of The Royal College of Ophthalmologists. YHEC led on all other aspects of the model, including workforce.
An Advisory Group consisting of both project funders and other stakeholders in the eye care sector was established to advise and steer the project and provide access to data. As well as the RCOphth, the Advisory Group members included: Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO), Association of Optometrists (AOP), British & Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS), Department of Health Northern Ireland, Federation of Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians (FODO), General Optical Council (GOC), Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), Local Optical Committee Support Unit (LOCSU), NHS England, Royal College of Nursing (RCN), The College of Optometrists, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), Scottish Government and Welsh Government.
Explore the UK Eye Care Data Hub at www.college-optometrists.org/viewpoint/advancing-optometry/uk-eye-care-data-hub