Number of people with glaucoma, AMD and cataracts set to increase over the next 10 years
New online tool will be a critical planning resource for commissioners and providers of eye health care
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. Organisations from across the UK’s eye care sector, including the British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS) and led by The College of Optometrists, have collaborated 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.
Craig Murray, Chair of BIOS, said: “With increasing demands on the eye care workforce, the development of innovative models of care across healthcare systems has become essential. The newly launched UK Eye Care Data Hub is set to provide support to commissioners and employers, offering data driven insight to ensure services are appropriately staffed and future professionals are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to meet emerging challenges. Use of this hub will help ensure that patients receive the care they need, delivered by the right clinician, in the right place and at the right time.
The hub also offers valuable insights into the growing prevalence of eye diseases, including conditions such as strabismus and its associated visual consequences. Orthoptists play a vital role in detecting and treating these conditions, which may present in childhood. Left untreated, they can lead to significant health inequalities that persist across a person’s lifespan. This forward-looking initiative aims to equip the eye care sector with the tools to predict and respond to future needs, enhancing patient outcomes and reducing disparities in 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 of Optometrists led the project to develop the tool on behalf of the UK’s eye care sector. Then project was supported and co-funded by the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO), the British & Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS), the Department of Health Northern Ireland, the Federation of Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians (FODO) and The Royal College of Ophthalmologists.
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. 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, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, 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
Register for our webinar
You can register here to join the UK Eye Care Data Hub webinar on Tuesday 25 February to learn how to use the tool to help understand the needs of patients and the current and future workforce available to meet those needs.