Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the results of the independent evaluation of the NHS England Special Schools Eye Care Service; and what clinical data will be published on the eye care history of relevant children.

The NHS Long Term Plan made a commitment to ensure that children and young people with a learning disability and/or autism in special residential schools have access to sight checks in school. To fulfil that commitment, NHS England commenced a proof-of-concept programme in 2021, piloting sight testing and the dispensing of glasses in special schools.

NHS England are currently considering the independent evaluation of this programme and will set out next steps for how the eye care needs of people with learning disabilities should be commissioned shortly. Decisions about publication of data will be taken in due course.