Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet the needs of their local populations, including services for the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of glaucoma.

National Health Service sight tests play an important role in detecting glaucoma, and free NHS sight tests are available to those at increased risk of glaucoma. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance supports timely diagnosis and management of glaucoma. NHS England's recently published Getting It Right First Time glaucoma best practice guidance also highlights a range of approaches to improve glaucoma care.

Health services are a devolved matter and arrangements for the commissioning and delivery of primary eye care services differs across the United Kingdom. However, the Department does work closely with our counterparts in the devolved governments to share expertise and identify new opportunities to improve health and social care delivery across the UK, including learning from the different approaches to the delivery of eye care services.

Health services are a devolved matter and arrangements for the commissioning and delivery of primary eye care services differs across the United Kingdom. However, the Department does work closely with our counterparts in the devolved governments to share expertise and identify new opportunities to improve health and social care delivery across the UK, including learning from the different approaches to the delivery of eye care services.

No formal assessment has been made. The Department does not hold data on waiting times for glaucoma treatment. However, for ophthalmology, which covers glaucoma treatment, as of May 2026, 74.1% of patient pathways were waiting within 18 weeks. This is an improvement of 3.9% over the past year.

We are committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment across England, including for ophthalmology. We are investing in and modernising NHS services to support this, including through our new online hospital, NHS Online, which will help reduce patient waiting times across England by giving people on glaucoma pathways the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home. NHS Online will deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million appointment and assessments in its first three years across all specialities. We are also expanding the number of surgical hubs, which provide dedicated and protected elective capacity to drive improvement in six specialities, including ophthalmology.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet the needs of their local populations. This can include community-based glaucoma services, delivered by high street optical practices.

The Department welcomed the publication of the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) glaucoma best practice guidance, which highlights a range of approaches to improving glaucoma care and reducing avoidable sight loss. These include making greater use of primary care optometry to undertake additional testing for patients suspected of having glaucoma to help reduce unnecessary referrals, and, where appropriate, supporting the monitoring of patients with glaucoma in the community.

The GIRFT team will be hosting a webinar for ICB commissioners on 28 July, to promote the guidance and encourage consideration of its recommendations. Decisions on the commissioning of local services will remain a matter for ICBs.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet the needs of their local populations. This can include community-based glaucoma services, delivered by high street optical practices.

The Department welcomed the publication of the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) glaucoma best practice guidance, which highlights a range of approaches to improving glaucoma care and reducing avoidable sight loss. These include making greater use of primary care optometry to undertake additional testing for patients suspected of having glaucoma to help reduce unnecessary referrals, and, where appropriate, supporting the monitoring of patients with glaucoma in the community.

The GIRFT team will be hosting a webinar for ICB commissioners on 28 July, to promote the guidance and encourage consideration of its recommendations. Decisions on the commissioning of local services will remain a matter for ICBs.

The Department is aware of a supply issue with Latanoprost 50 micrograms/millilitre and Timolol five milligram/millilitre eye drops 0.2 millilitre unit dose preservative free. We are currently working with the impacted manufacturer, suppliers of alternatives, and National Health Service specialists to understand the situation and will issue guidance to NHS prescribers as soon as possible, in line with the robust procedures already in place.

While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing NHS communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.

Whilst Health is a devolved matter, I have regular engagement with colleagues from the Department of Health and Social Care and Welsh Government. Ministers and officials work closely with their counterparts through established intergovernmental structures, including the Interministerial Group for Health. Both the UK and Welsh Governments support improvements in patient access and drive down waiting lists as a key priority. NHS England and Wales jointly published a Statement of Values and Principles for cross-border healthcare which sets a clear expectation that patients living in defined border areas should receive care without delay or administrative burden, with the aim of delivering faster, improved and more equitable health outcomes for all patients.

The Department does not hold data on either the number of people waiting for a glaucoma follow-up appointment or the length of waiting time for any such glaucoma follow-up appointment. Therefore, no current estimate has been made.

Data is published on ophthalmology waiting times from referral to treatment, but this is not broken down by condition and does not cover follow up appointments that occur after a patient’s first definitive treatment.

As of January 2026, the waiting list for ophthalmology stands at 602,163, with 69.8% of those having waited less than 18 weeks from referral to treatment, an improvement of 3.7 percentage points since the general election in July 2024.

The Department does not hold data on either the number of people waiting for a glaucoma follow-up appointment or the length of waiting time for any such glaucoma follow-up appointment. Therefore, no current estimate has been made.

Data is published on ophthalmology waiting times from referral to treatment, but this is not broken down by condition and does not cover follow up appointments that occur after a patient’s first definitive treatment.

As of January 2026, the waiting list for ophthalmology stands at 602,163, with 69.8% of those having waited less than 18 weeks from referral to treatment.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Battersea on 18 March 2026 to Question 119439.

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population, and for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services, to meet them. This can already include the commissioning of community-based glaucoma services, including glaucoma repeat readings and glaucoma monitoring.

The Getting It Right First Time programme is also developing best practice guidance for glaucoma services, to support consistent adoption of high standards of care from detection to ongoing monitoring or discharge.

Data on the number of glaucoma patients who weren't offered a combined procedure to treat glaucoma at the time of cataract surgery is not held.

The best treatment options will be decided by the treating clinician, in discussion with the patient, considering an individuals’ clinical circumstances and relevant professional clinical guidance and best available evidence.

The Getting It Right First Time programme is also developing best practice guidance for glaucoma services, to support the consistent adoption of high standards of care from detection onwards.

Data on the number of glaucoma patients who weren't offered a combined procedure to treat glaucoma at the time of cataract surgery is not held.

The best treatment options will be decided by the treating clinician, in discussion with the patient, considering an individuals’ clinical circumstances and relevant professional clinical guidance and best available evidence.

The Getting It Right First Time programme is also developing best practice guidance for glaucoma services, to support the consistent adoption of high standards of care from detection onwards.

NHS sight tests play a vital role in the early detection of glaucoma. Integrated care boards (ICBs) can also commission community-based glaucoma services, which support earlier identification, ongoing monitoring and management, helping to prevent avoidable sight loss.

Some ICBs are already using a Single Point of Access to speed up the referral and triage of patients between primary and secondary care.

In addition, the Getting It Right First Time programme is developing best practice guidance for glaucoma services, to support the consistent adoption of high standards of care from detection onwards.

Regular sight tests play a crucial role in the early detection of glaucoma, which is often symptomless in the early stages. Free National Health Service sight tests are available for many, including individuals diagnosed with glaucoma or aged 40 years old and over with a close family history of glaucoma.

NHS England testing has shown how improved IT connectivity between primary and secondary eye care services and the development of a single point of access could improve the referral and triage of eye care patients, reducing the time from referral to treatment and supporting more patients to be managed in the community.

The Getting It Right First Time programme is also currently developing best practice guidance for glaucoma services to support the adoption of high standards across the pathway, from detection onwards.