Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of variations in waiting times for glaucoma diagnosis and treatment across England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No formal assessment has been made. The Department does not hold data on waiting times for glaucoma treatment. However, for ophthalmology, which covers glaucoma treatment, as of May 2026, 74.1% of patient pathways were waiting within 18 weeks. This is an improvement of 3.9% over the past year.
We are committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment across England, including for ophthalmology. We are investing in and modernising NHS services to support this, including through our new online hospital, NHS Online, which will help reduce patient waiting times across England by giving people on glaucoma pathways the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. NHS Online will deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointment and assessments in its first three years across all specialities. We are also expanding the number of surgical hubs, which provide dedicated and protected elective capacity to drive improvement in six specialities, including ophthalmology.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to protect and support the mental health of asylum seekers housed in military accommodation.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Home Office recognises the mental health challenges faced by people seeking asylum and has a strategic team focussing on asylum seeker mental health. This team works closely with accommodation providers, NGOs, health partners and lived experience groups to formulate a preventative approach.
We work carefully to ensure that the needs and vulnerabilities of those residing in asylum accommodation are identified and considered, including those related to mental health and trauma. We also work closely with UK health authorities to ensure asylum seekers have access to health care and that mental health matters are assessed and treated.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure Integrated Care Boards are (a) adopting the recent Get It Right First-Time guidance on glaucoma and (b) commissioning enhanced referral and filtering schemes.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet the needs of their local populations. This can include community-based glaucoma services, delivered by high street optical practices.
The Department welcomed the publication of the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) glaucoma best practice guidance, which highlights a range of approaches to improving glaucoma care and reducing avoidable sight loss. These include making greater use of primary care optometry to undertake additional testing for patients suspected of having glaucoma to help reduce unnecessary referrals, and, where appropriate, supporting the monitoring of patients with glaucoma in the community.
The GIRFT team will be hosting a webinar for ICB commissioners on 28 July, to promote the guidance and encourage consideration of its recommendations. Decisions on the commissioning of local services will remain a matter for ICBs.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that ICBs commission community minor and urgent eye care services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
Decisions on whether to commission these services are for integrated care boards, which are responsible for assessing local population needs and determining how best to meet them.
The Department worked with the eye care sector to develop a standard clinical specification for the commissioning of Community Minor and Urgent Eye Care Services, and this was published in February 2024. The specification is available at the following link:
https://locsu.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1.-CUES-Service-specification-vs-1.43-Feb-2024.pdf
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure commissioners are making use of capacity and expertise in primary care optometry to improve access to care for those (a) at risk of and (b) with glaucoma.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet the needs of their local populations. This can include community-based glaucoma services, delivered by high street optical practices.
The Department welcomed the publication of the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) glaucoma best practice guidance, which highlights a range of approaches to improving glaucoma care and reducing avoidable sight loss. These include making greater use of primary care optometry to undertake additional testing for patients suspected of having glaucoma to help reduce unnecessary referrals, and, where appropriate, supporting the monitoring of patients with glaucoma in the community.
The GIRFT team will be hosting a webinar for ICB commissioners on 28 July, to promote the guidance and encourage consideration of its recommendations. Decisions on the commissioning of local services will remain a matter for ICBs.