23 October 2025
The first results of the UK National Eye Health and Hearing Study (UKNEHS) were shared during an event held at the British Medical Association (BMA) on Friday 10 October.
The study, which has completed its pilot phase with research across 14 postcode areas and seven care homes in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, found widespread hidden sensory loss within the population.
More than a third (36%) of participants had undiagnosed glaucoma, whilst 50% of those with diabetic retinopathy were unaware of their condition.
A 50% prevalence of dual sensory loss was found in the care home section of the study.
Staff in care homes often underestimate the benefits of eye health and there was a high level of dementia within the care homes involved in the study, attendees at the BMA event were told.
Researchers noted that hearing and vision screening should be made a standard part of the dementia pathway.
Attendees heard that currently, the UK does not have up-to-date, population level data on vision and hearing health.
The cost to the UK in terms of lost productivity, increased care needs, and mental health consequences, is £58 billion annually, the College of Optometrists said.
The UKNEHS study was undertaken by Anglia Ruskin University, and was led by Professor Rupert Bourne. Medical students from both Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Cambridge assisted with research.
The College of Optometrists, Vision UK, the Thomas Pocklington Trust and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists partnered with the universities on the study.
The eye examinations were managed by optometrist Sarah Farrell, who is head of optometry and low vision services at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
The study is the first of its kind in the UK, and saw more than 500 people undertake eye tests and hearing examinations.
A multi-level awareness campaign was needed in order to recruit participants because engagement rates for healthcare studies have fallen from around 80% in the 1980s to between 40% and 50% today, researchers revealed.
The UK is falling behind other countries in failing to measure sensory loss, Bourne said.
Michael Bowen, director of knowledge and research at the College of Optometrists, said: “The eye health sector and our national health services need robust, population-level data in order to make effective and targeted plans for eye health provision in the future.”
Bowen added: “The study’s findings highlight how many people are not attending for regular eye tests, where these eye conditions would be picked up, even though the over 60s are eligible for free NHS eye tests across the UK.”
Bourne noted: “These figures are deeply concerning. They show that sensory health is being overlooked, even among high-risk groups. We are missing critical opportunities to prevent avoidable sight and hearing loss.”
Community optometrists deliver all “essential national sight testing, eye examination and vision correction services, and have the skills and capacity to treat more patients and help reduce hospital waiting lists, if more eye care services were funded in primary care,” Bowen emphasised.
Movement towards a national study
The BMA event was attended by researchers, policymakers, and representatives from charities including the Royal National Institute of Blind People, DeafBlind UK, and Fight for Sight.
Raj Mehta, chair of the UKNEHS Steering Committee, called the event “a celebration and a beginning.”
Morning sessions saw medical students who had undertaken the research present their findings.
Discussing the unmet need for eye care in the community, researchers noted that one in 11 adults taking part in the study had vision below the legal driving standard, and that there was no defining factor such as age or sex that influenced this.
One in eight were experiencing either distance loss or near vision loss, or both. One in five (19%) showed a level of vision that was potentially correctable.
Despite this, uptake of eye care was low, researchers said.
Diabetic retinopathy was also identified, with half of the cases identified not previously diagnosed.
It was noted that there are clear opportunities for preventative care identified within the Government's 10-Year Health Plan.
Researchers are calling for a national study to be funded by the four governments of the United Kingdom.
Bowen emphasised: “If we don’t have this data, we will continue to fly blind, and it will rule out this apparently universal service for eye health and hearing health that should be accessible to everyone, particularly those who need it most.
“That will mean people living with correctable vision impairments, correctable hearing impairments, which we know could contribute to their risk of later cognitive problems with dementia, but also ongoing reduced quality of life.”
The data is needed to ensure that people take up the services that they are entitled to, Bowen said.
Speakers acknowledged that more analysis is needed before a national study can be undertaken, including in ensuring a greater ethnic variance in participants.
Dr Rosie Smyth noted that she hoped the data presented would influence the decisions of commissioners.
The next step is to analyse participant data, including against the Index of Multiple Deprivation, in order to determine how representative the pilot’s sample was, Smyth said.
Bourne said: “This lack of data means we are unable to measure the true scale of unmet need or evaluate the effectiveness of existing services. This is not just a data gap – it is a public health infrastructure gap.”
He added: “The UK National Eye Health and Hearing Study aims to provide the baseline data needed to shape more effective, targeted, and equitable health and social care services.”
Study seeks to understand the prevalence of sight and hearing loss in the UK
The College of Optometrists’ Mike Bowen spoke at HSOC about the UK National Eye Health and Hearing Study
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