The Government supports those who need help with the cost of corrective eyewear through National Health Service optical vouchers. These are available to people who meet the eligibility criteria, including those on low incomes, and can be used towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses.

People with lupus are not automatically eligible, but may qualify if they meet relevant criteria. Further information on eligibility can be found at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/opticians/free-nhs-eye-tests-and-optical-vouchers/

Patients receiving care through the hospital eye service who require clinically necessary expensive lenses may be entitled to support through the Hospital Eye Service maximum charge scheme. The current maximum charges are £75.85 for a single vision lens, £123.34 for any other lens types, and £61.77 per contact lens. Patients entitled to an NHS optical voucher can use it to offset these costs.

The Government is clear that the professions protected in law must be the right ones and that the level of regulatory oversight must be proportionate to the risks to the public.

The Department keeps the professions subject to regulation under review but has no current plans to extend statutory regulation to vision rehabilitation specialists.

The Department has regular discussions with the General Optical Council (GOC) on regulatory matters.

While the GOC is an independent regulator responsible for managing its fitness to practise processes, the Government expects the GOC to take steps to improve the efficiency and timeliness of case handling.

In March 2026, the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) published its 2024/25 performance review of the GOC, concluding that that it met all 18 Standards of Good Regulation, including those relating to fitness to practise. The PSA found that most fitness to practise investigations were timely and adequate, with risks managed appropriately. However, the PSA identified some areas for improvement which the GOC is addressing through an action plan. The PSA will monitor the progress of this plan as part of its continuous oversight of GOC’s performance.

In parallel, the Department is progressing wider, longer-term reforms to the regulatory frameworks of the healthcare professional regulators. These will enable them to be more responsive to changes in the health and care workforce and give them the flexibility to modernise their fitness to practise processes whilst maintaining public protection.

The Neighbourhood Health Framework is designed to provide clarity and consistency to integrated care boards (ICBs), local authorities, and their partners, in developing and scaling neighbourhood health.

General practice, primary care, pharmacies, mental health providers, community health services, social care services, local authorities, and civil society partners are included, to illustrate how services can work together to shift care from hospital to communities, improve access, and provide proactive, holistic care for people with complex needs. This is not an exhaustive list and does not prescribe which providers must be involved locally.

No specific criteria were used to determine which providers were included in the framework. The framework does not prevent other providers, including optometrists, from being part of neighbourhood health services.

The framework outlines the national minimum aims and objectives of Neighbourhood Health Services. It is important that reforms are locally led, as ICBs and local authorities are best placed to design services that make sense for their local populations. Local systems can therefore choose to go further than the minimum, including in relation to optometry.

ICBs are already able to commission enhanced services from high street optometrists including minor and urgent eye care services and glaucoma referral filtering services.

The Neighbourhood Health Framework outlines the national minimum aims and objectives of Neighbourhood Health Services. It is important that reforms are locally led, as integrated care boards and local authorities are best placed to design services that make sense for their local populations. Local systems can choose to go further than the minimum aims set out in the framework, including in relation to optometry.

The Neighbourhood Health Framework outlines the national minimum aims and objectives of Neighbourhood Health Services. It is important that reforms are locally led, as integrated care boards and local authorities are best placed to design services that make sense for their local populations. Local systems can choose to go further than the minimum aims set out in the framework, including in relation to optometry.

The Neighbourhood Health Framework outlines the national minimum aims and objectives of Neighbourhood Health Services. It is important that reforms are locally led, as integrated care boards and local authorities are best placed to design services that make sense for their local populations. Local systems can choose to go further than the minimum aims set out in the framework, including in relation to optometry.

Integrated care boards can already commission community-based eye care services. Improvements in IT connectivity and the development of single points of access between primary care optometry and secondary care will also support more care being delivered in the community, including under shared care arrangements.

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.

My officials have met with various optometrist organisations (including the College of Optometrists and the Association of Optometrists) while developing the proposed changes to eyesight testing for older drivers, and we will continue to engage with optometrist organisations as our policies develop further.

The consultation on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers was published on 07 January. We welcome responses from optometrists and optometrist organisations.

The consultation can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/introducing-mandatory-eyesight-testing-for-older-drivers/introducing-mandatory-eyesight-testing-for-older-drivers

No specific assessment has been made.

The intention of the reference pricing is to support long term capacity in ophthalmology by enabling trusts to reinvest realised savings directly into local services, including workforce, equipment, and service redesign. Clinical autonomy is maintained, and clinicians will continue to be able to tailor treatments to individual patient needs, including complex cases, where this is clinically indicated.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is responsible for ensuring that all drivers meet the medical standards required for safe driving, including for eyesight. Drivers who notify the DVLA of a medical condition that may affect their eyesight may be asked to have a formal vision test. These tests are conducted by Specsavers on behalf of the DVLA. The current contract for this purpose was awarded to Specsavers in February 2025 following a competitive tender exercise. There are no plans to introduce a national register of opticians licensed to carry out these tests.

There are no plans to implement mandatory training for opticians and general practitioners to recognise Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Healthcare professionals are responsible for ensuring their clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. The College of Optometrists has also published a number of resources providing information about Charles Bonnet Syndrome for optometrists and patients.

NHS England publishes data on hospital admissions and related diagnosis information, including finished admission episodes due to detached retinas.

The total number of finished admission episodes in England relating to retinal detachments and breaks in 2023/24 was 21,466. Further data is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2023-24

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.

The hon. Gentleman is right to point to the anomalies in the eyecare system. There are concerns about the role that some aspects of the independent sector are playing, particularly in the light of the lucrative nature of cataract operations. If he writes to me, I will be happy to set out the issues, and I guarantee that he will get the response in due course.

Opticians are important medical professionals for our community. Unfortunately, when I spoke to the Hertfordshire and West Essex integrated care board, I was told that it will not allow opticians to perform vital services such as treating minor eye injuries, as doing so is deemed too expensive, despite that being the norm in the areas surrounding my constituency. Will the Minister meet me to discuss how we can ensure a fair system across the country, rather than a postcode lottery?

NHS England provides an annual grant for supervisors of optometry trainees. This payment is an essential element of ensuring adequate training provision is available for new optometrists.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services and receive an annual allocation of funding to secure services to meet the needs of their local population. Any decisions about the recruitment of optometrists are a matter for individual employers.

We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.