Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to work with the devolved administration to promote eye care research in Northern Ireland’s universities.

Whilst health policy is largely devolved, the Department works together with other Government departments and the devolved administrations to support research across the United Kingdom. From autumn 2023, health and social care researchers, including universities and in some cases subject matter experts (SMEs), in the devolved administrations will have increased access to health and social care research funding via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including eye care.

The move has been agreed following consultation with the Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office, Health and Care Research Wales and Health and Social Care Research & Development in Northern Ireland. The announcement expands the list of NIHR research programmes that are available to researchers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The move will boost research across the United Kingdom and help increase access to research for people in the three devolved administrations.