Westminster Eye Health Day
Bringing the patient voice to Parliament to shape more accessible and personalised eye care
The Eyes Have It (TEHI) coalition hosted its annual parliamentary event, marking the sixth anniversary of Westminster Eye Health Day.
TEHI is a partnership between the Association of Optometrists, Macular Society, Fight for Sight, RNIB, and Roche Products Ltd. Roche funds the partnership’s activities.
At the event, attended by 20 parliamentarians and researchers, partners launched A Shared Vision for Eye Care (PDF) which showcased findings of new research from a national patient survey.
The survey findings highlighted the priorities of people accessing eye health and care services, the common challenges they face in securing timely care, treatment and support, and the importance of early detection and prevention.
The statement sets out the partnership’s vision for patients, shaped by patient voices and grounded in lived experience.
At its heart is a simple ambition: Everyone should be able to access the right eye care, in the right place and at the right time; supported throughout their care journey and empowered with the information, support and confidence needed to live well with their condition.
It calls for consistent, personalised communication about diagnosis, treatment and progress – giving patients greater confidence and control – and timely, dependable care delivered at clinically appropriate intervals.
The statement sets out that more care should be available closer to home, while access to specialist expertise must be preserved when needed.
The event also shared insights from an Integrated Care Board (ICB) audit based on responses to a structured survey of ICB system leaders. The questions examined how eye health and eye care are reflected in planning, commissioning and service delivery frameworks.
This work continues to position TEHI as a central voice on eye health in Parliament and helps ensure that its insights inform national policy discussions.
