Collaboration for Eye Care

SEEABILITY AND NHS ENGLAND JOINING TOGETHER FOR EYE CARE

After nearly a decade of supporting disabled children in special schools getting the eye care they need, SeeAbility are now working with NHS England to access even more Special Schools across the UK.

SeeAbility began its Children in Focus programme in 2013. The question we were trying to answer was how could we transform children’s lives by bringing early and accessible eye care and glasses to their school?

Our research shows that thousands of children with disabilities across the country are missing out on the eye care they need. Over 4 in 10 pupils had no history of sight tests or eye care, and yet half of the children we’ve seen have a problem with their eyes or vision, and at least a third need glasses. Only 1 in 10 have a history of going to a community optician, and the remainder of children are attending busy hospital outpatient clinics for often routine eye care.

Since 2013 SeeAbility have provided over 4,000 eye care appointments and over 2,000 pairs of glasses to children in special schools. Our model of sight testing is recommended by eye care professional bodies, as it is less stressful for children with learning disabilities and autism, reduces the time they miss from school and incorporates glasses dispensing as well as repairs and support with adapting to glasses wear.

We’re delighted that as a result of this work, and the tremendous support we’ve had, NHS England are now rolling out a Special Schools Eye Care Service in special schools in the North West and North East and are looking to make it countrywide in the next few years. The programme will address a whole host of unmet needs and will reach over 120,000 children, with SeeAbility remaining closely involved, as we deliver the training of Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians for the programme.

Lisa Donaldson, SeeAbility Clinical Lead Optometrist explains “An eye care team working as part of the multi-disciplinary team in special schools can ensure that the visual abilities, needs and limitations of every child are understood by everyone involved in their education, health and care, empowering them to reach their full potential.”

Richard Everitt Senior Programme Lead: Optical Services Commissioning NHS England and NHS Improvement adds, “SeeAbility have been the driving force behind the special school eye care programme and an influential partner to NHS England and NHS Improvement in the development of this new service from the very outset. We’re now in the process of launching this national service in early adopter special schools and SeeAbility continue to support this work by helping to train new providers, the majority of whom will have little experience of working with children with learning disabilities and/or autism.”

Earlier this year SeeAbility won the Overall Award for Excellence at the 2021 Charity Awards, the longest-running and most prestigious awards scheme in the charity sector, as well as the top prize in the Healthcare category, for the Special School Eye Care Service and their work with NHS England.

Matt Broom Strategic Lead for Eye Health and Vision at SeeAbility says, “We were so pleased to win both awards. What they celebrate is the work of the team across many years to address the obvious eye health needs of children with learning disabilities and autism. We look forward to the full roll out across the country.”

If you’d like further information about SeeAbility’s eye care work and resources, check out seeability.org/ eye-care or contact the Eye Care and Vision team on eyecare@seeability.org

Author: SeeAbility Website: seeability.org Twitter: @SeeAbility Instagram: @SeeAbility Facebook: @RSB.SeeAbility