Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS England Special School Eye Care Service will only serve residential schools from 2023.

The NHS Long Term Plan committed to ensure that children and young people with a learning disability and/or autism in special residential schools have access to eyesight, hearing and dental checks. In 2021, NHS England commenced a pilot to evaluate a potential sight testing service model in residential schools, which is currently being evaluated and we expect this to conclude early in 2023.

NHS England has confirmed that existing pilot contracts in day schools will continue until 31 March 2023. The evaluation of the pilot will also inform whether this service should continue.