Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve digital connectivity between high street optometrists and secondary eye care services through the NHS Innovation Accelerator.

NHS England’s digital accelerators pilots have provided the evidence to demonstrate the value of digital integration of primary and secondary care through a refined single point of access model. The digitally enabled single point of access uses IT connectivity between primary and secondary eye care services to improve the referral and triage of patients, with patient data and images being assessed by clinicians to determine if patients need an appointment in secondary care. This was found to reduce unnecessary hospital appointments, time from referral to treatment, and supports more patients being managed in the community. The learnings from the pilots have been shared with integrated care boards.