Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GP referrals of patients to eye specialists there were in the last 12 months.

The data is not held by the Department. NHS England publishes monthly data on General Practice Appointments, but this does not track patient-level data and therefore does not include a break-down of the conditions or symptoms a patient was seen for.

Integrated care boards in many areas commission enhanced services from high street optical practices. This includes minor and urgent community eye care services, pre and post cataract checks and glaucoma monitoring, to help alleviate secondary care pressures.