Assessment Consultation
Care Quality Commission
103-105 Burnhill Road
FREEPOST Lon 15399
London
EC1B 1QW

Special Review on care services for people who lose their sight

Dear Sir/Madam

I am responding to the consultation on future reviews and studies the Commission will conduct on themes in health and social care.  I am disappointed the Commission doesn’t plan to review the gaps on care and support for blind and partially sighted people.

As a supporter of the Royal National Institute of Blind Peoples ‘Lost and Found ‘ campaign I would like the commission to agree to a Special Review on the “care pathway experienced by blind and partially sighted people.



The research that has been conducted so far points to systemic failings in the health and social care support delivered to people the with sight threatening diseases and those living with sight loss.

·	The National Patient Safety Agency has issued a warning about delays and cancellations for patients with established glaucoma.  Regular follow up appointments are vital but many eye clinics lack capacity.

·	Fewer than one in ten (only 8 per cent) of blind and partially sighted people are offered formal counselling by their when they are diagnosed.

·	Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of blind and partially sighted people leave the eye clinic not knowing, or unsure of, the name of the eye condition that caused them to lose their sight.

·	One fifth of people say they do not recall receiving any visit from social services in the year after they registered as blind or partially sighted.

As you know, these problems are not new.  The Commission for Social Care Inspection’s 2008 review of Fair Access to Care shared evidence on the marginalisation of blind and partially sighted people in our care system, often to the extent they are described as “hidden”

I believe a Special Review on the “care pathway experienced by blind and partially sighted people” should be a priority for the Commission in 2010/11.

·	Integrated care:  Where there is evidence that health and services fail to deliver joined-up care, there is a risk that government policies such as Putting People First and High Quality Care for All are weakened.

·	Productivity and prevention: There are pockets of good practice, where people are being supported to adjust to a diagnosis of eye loss.  For example eye clinic liaison services can prevent long term dependence on care services.  However, unless every organisation working with people who lose their sight is deployed in the way, gains in productivity will be difficult to achieve.

With the number of people with sight loss set to increase sharply to 4 million by 2050, action must be taken now to establish whether health and social care services are as they should to meet the needs of a growing section of the community.

Many people who lose their sight have grown used to inadequate services, but we can no longer tolerate patients being left on their own.  We trust the Commission will rethink its priorities and review the quality of care provided to the hundreds of people who lose their sight each week.

Your Sincerely