Rhif elusen gof. 226227 Reg charity no. 226227 Increasing the take up of sight tests Ceri Jackson Head of Sight Loss Prevention RNIB Cymru

Rhif elusen gof. 226227Reg charity no. 226227

Increasing the take up of sight tests

Ceri Jackson

Head of Sight Loss Prevention

RNIB Cymru


Overview

• Impact of sight loss

• RNIB Context

• Current take up of sight tests

• Understanding the challenge

• Progress

• Eye Health Week


RNIB's Strategy 2009 - 2014

• Stopping people losing their sight unnecessarily RNIB aims to bring about a reduction in the

rates of sight loss among people who are

most at risk.

• Supporting Independent Living

• Creating an inclusive society


Impact of sight loss• Loss of independence

• 66% unemployed

• Getting out and about

• Emotional health

• Access to reading less than 5% books accessible

• 3 out of 4 older people with sight loss live in poverty


Welsh Health Survey 2008 Percentage of people who have visited optometrist

Age Male Female

16-24 32% 43%

25-34 26% 44%

35-44 31% 46%

45-54 48% 56%

55-64 52% 62%

65-74 61% 67%

75+ 67% 70%


General Ophthalmic Services

• In the year ending 31 March 2010: • 735,000 NHS sight tests in Wales, an increase of

16,000 (2.2 %) • 24,548 sight tests per 100,000 population. • 51.8 % (381,000) adults aged 60 and over

• Source GOS Activity Stats March 2010


General Ophthalmic Services data 09/10

NHS Patient eligibility

Percentage by

eligibility 07/08

Percentage by eligibility

08/09

Percentage by eligibility

09/10

Number of tests 09/10

Adults 60 plus

41.5 46.4 51.8 380,671

Children 0 to 15

21.9 21 18.2 133,379

Adults receiving Income Support

9.1 8.5 8 58.532

Adults receiving tax credits

7.0 6.6 5.7 41.537

Relatives 40+ of Glaucoma sufferers

6.1 5.8 5.0 36,914


Understanding the challenge - who has a sight test?• Robust data on sight tests required to

make eye health a priority and to inform awareness activities

• Frequency of GOS tests

• No central data on tests outside of GOS i.e. those not eligible for NHS sight test

• No data on ethnicity

• Limited geographical data


Understanding the challenge - awareness and interventions• Understanding the risk factors

• Awareness levels amongst public and other health professionals e.g. GPs

• Explore attitudinal differences across demographic groups

• Understand the tipping points that encourage people to have a sight test

• Tried and tested interventions


Progress

– Wales Vision Strategy Implementation Plan– MEGAFOCUS– Wales Glaucoma Alliance– Eye Health Project– Eye Health Inequalities Project

- Children's Vision Group– Cwm Taff Eye Health Equity Profile– Eye Health Week


RNIB Cymru Eye Health Inequalities Project 2009 / 2010• To explore the barriers that people from low income

communities face in accessing regular eye health checks.

- Provide evidence to Directors of Public Health and other professionals in Wales

- Information to assist in understanding how to increase eye health checks in at risk groups

- Report and guidelines disseminated to key local and national stakeholders across Wales and UK


RNIB Community Engagement Projects• Cwm Taff Health Board

• Belfast Health and Social Care Trust; South West Glasgow Community Health Care Partnership

• Leeds PCT

• Bradford and Airedale PCT

• City and Hackney PCT


RNIB Community Engagement Projects • Develop and evaluate intervention strategies to affect• Increased access to and uptake of primary eye health

care services amongst groups at greatest risk of developing sight loss

• Increased access to and uptake of secondary eye health care services amongst groups at greatest risk of developing sight loss

• Improved patient concordance with treatment following diagnosis with an eye condition linked to avoidable sight loss


Eye Health Week


Eye Health Week

• The UK eye care sector joined forces with charities and healthcare professionals to launch the first ever National Eye Health Week

• Three year project

• Steering Group established for Wales

• Meeting in October to discuss activities for 2011


Eye Health Week June 2010

• Optometry Wales - 7 Assembly Members visited Optometric practices across Wales, posters in 532 practices

• Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service for Wales

4 areas of Cardiff, spoke to 791 people about importance of screening and having a regular sight test


Eye Health Week Helen Mary Jones AM in Llanelli Optometric Practice

–


MEGAFOCUS

• Minority Ethnic Groups Association for Ophthalmic Care Uptake and Service Improvement in Wales

• Established by Sight Support

• Chaired by Raghu Ram, Consultant Ophthalmologist

• Glaucoma presentation at temple in Splott (ongoing programme of events)

.


Omnibus questionnaire Wales• 530 people surveyed (face to face)

• 79% reported having a sight test in the last two years.

• 78% said having a sight test was very important

• Reasons given for not having a sight test in the last 5 years:

• didn't think they needed a test as they didn't have any problems with their eyes

• thought that they would be expected to buy a pair of spectacles and they couldn't afford it

• didn't have time

• already had frames and didn't want to change them


RNIB Cymru Group

• Articles and case studies published in local press including the South Wales Echo and Western Mail

• Senedd awareness event for AMs and their staff; Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, agreed to wear Sim Specs for the day


RNIB Cymru

• Peacocks provided 600 staff with free eye health checks

• Organisations posted information on intranets / internet including Public Health Wales, Directors of Public Health, Lloyds TSB, Unison, Neath and Port Talbot College, Royal College of Nursing, NHS Direct.


RNIB Cymru

• 700 eye health messages were delivered face to face in venues around Merthyr, Pontypridd at Lloyds TSB Finance and at Disability Pride

• BBC Community Television Broadcast

1 million viewers



Thank you for listening

• Questions?

• Ceri Jackson 029 20449 556

• [email protected]

Documents

Rhif elusen gof. 226227 Reg charity no. 226227 Increasing the take up of sight tests Ceri Jackson Head of Sight Loss Prevention RNIB Cymru