Page 4 - FODO-Strategy-Document-Full-2023

Eliminating system risk The scale and impact of sight loss in the UK

Thanks to significant advances in diagnostics, surgery and drug
therapies, we can now treat and prevent many more cases of
sight loss, but our health systems in all four nations are struggling 2.1 million
to cope. This includes more than 20 people a month suffering people living with sight loss
avoidable sight loss due to delays in glaucoma care in the hospital
eye service (HES). 1

Each case of preventable sight loss due to delays in care is a serious
incident. We can and must work together across the system to
reduce these cases to zero and eliminate system risk. This is an It costs £36bn each year
ambitious but achievable goal.

So, while we have much to be proud of in eye care, we must now
push forward to meet changing eye health needs. At the heart of
this effort will be streamlining and expanding access to enhanced
eye care pathways so that no patient suffers avoidable sight loss Reduced
due to delays in accessing specialist support in the HES. employment
and productivity
£6.2bn
Supporting sustainable models of eye care
Reduced quality reduced employment
To deliver this vision we must move rapidly to take full advantage of of life opportunities and increase in
all that primary eye care has to offer. This means primary eye care £24.8bn informal carer responsibilities
providers meeting more eye health needs. Enabling patients to reduction in quality of life
access high-quality clinical care close to home on time. Achieving and the impact of disabling
this will, in turn, reduce pressure on GP and hospital colleagues, sight loss
optimise system capacity and address the bottlenecks causing
avoidable sight loss due to delays in care. Cost of aids
and other
Acting now will also help address the associated personal and economic impacts
system costs and impacts of sight loss. £1.6bn
Additional health
FODO will do this by continuing to support collaboration across all system costs
health systems to increase service delivery through primary eye £ £3.4bn
care providers. This support will include improving access to clinical
services and medical devices for those in greatest need and ensuring including increased risk
patients get the right care in the right place at the right time. of falls
Source 2

4 FODO UK The future of primary eye care – principles and priorities 5