Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to make primary care optometry the default option for glaucoma care.

In England, optometrists and ophthalmic medical practitioners play a vital role in the early detection of glaucoma, which is usually picked up during a routine sight test. Patients with suspected glaucoma will be referred for further investigation and any clinically necessary treatment.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning secondary care services and are also able to commission out-of-hospital services from primary eye care providers to meet local needs, which could include the ongoing management and monitoring of selected glaucoma patients.