Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the department is taking to establish a universally commissioned emergency eye care pathway to end the postcode lottery of these service in England.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet local need. This can include community minor and urgent eye care services, with decisions on provision made locally to reflect population need and existing service capacity.

Optometrists are required to follow local protocols for referring patients into secondary care including for emergency and urgent cases. These pathways will take into account National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance where appropriate.