Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to review pre-visit notifications for domiciliary eyecare visits to care homes.

The current regulatory framework for domiciliary eye care services requires contractors to provide at least 48 hours’ notice to NHS England of the intention to provide National Health Service sight testing services to two patients at the same address and at least three weeks’ notice where contractors intend to provide services to three or more patients. However, the current framework allows for contractors to see up to three additional urgent cases without notice on the day of a planned visit.

The Department and NHS England are in discussions with the eye care profession on whether there is a need to amend the legal framework for domiciliary services, including the potential review of pre-visit notifications.